A Thousand Ways To Love
by RainbowKandiKorn22
Summary: The sequel to Oneshots Through The Heart has arrived! Once again, here you will find a collection of oneshots involving the relationships of the characters of Ninjago, whether they are romantic or platonic. Rated T to be safe. Contains yaoi and yuri. Completed. Final oneshot: Kai x Skylor.
1. A Walking Heater

**Guess who's baaaack! Yep, it's me. I'll still be very busy with schoolwork and stuff, but it won't be as bad as before.**

**I was _going_ to call this "Oneshots Through The Heart 2", but I didn't like that, so I decided to call this "A Thousand Ways To Love".**

**So, for our first oneshot, have some ninjas and a samurai just being bros and bonding during a blackout. Happens after the second season finale. Also, mentions of Christmas. Even though it's only November now. Don't judge me.**

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><p>December in Ninjago City was always an exciting time. Everyone would be outside, hanging coloured lights in the trees along the sidewalks, decorating store windows with anything that would lift their holiday spirits. Freshly-cut pine trees would be brought in from the forests outside the city to be decorated, and the largest one would be erected at the centre of the city to be lit up. Needless to say, they took Christmas decorating very seriously.<p>

However, Ninjago City, unlike the other towns and villages of the region, was almost always unprepared for snow. They never had much reason to prepare because of how rare a heavy snowfall was. So, if a blizzard ever reared its ugly head, power outages would result indefinitely. Even if they had everyone together to fix the issue, it often took a couple of days to bring the power back.

Of course, the Ninja were completely and blissfully unaware of this fact, and were probably the most unprepared for the coming snowstorm. While weather warnings were rampant among television stations, they were happily decorating their group apartment with varying colours of tinsel and beads, singing carols all the while.

"Lloyd! Quit eating the candy canes! We kinda need those!" Kai scolded, snatching them out of the blond's hand and giving them to Cole, who hung them on the branches of the pine tree in the corner of the room.

Lloyd swallowed the remains of the minty candy before he spoke. "You guys have used pretty much all of them for decorations," he complained. "They're gonna go bad by the time Christmas is over. Why can't I have a few?"

"Lloyd, they'll still be good even after Christmas, and your definition of 'a few' is more like twenty," Cole replied with a smirk. "You can have one when we're done decorating, okay?"

Jay, who had been hanging lights along the edges of the window, elbowed him playfully. "Kinda like how your definition of a slice of cake is, like, half of it?" he teased, throwing a candy cane to Lloyd, who smiled gratefully at him before unwrapping it.

Cole narrowed his eyes. "Cake and candy canes are two completely different things. For one thing, cake will go stale if you leave it out for too long."

"Yeah, sure. Whatever you say." He turned at the sound of the door opening, rushing over to it when he saw it was Nya, carrying a shopping bag in each hand. Before she could say anything, he pointed up at the ceiling to the sprig of mistletoe hanging by a string.

"Jay, did you hang that there just so you could kiss me?" she asked, a teasing tone in her voice.

He looked away, a blush quickly spreading across his face. "Maybe..."

She rolled her eyes, putting down the bags to place her hands on Jay's freckled cheeks, bringing him close and touching her lips to his for a few seconds. He smiled against her lips, pouting when she separated from him.

Zane peered out from the small kitchen, smiling when he saw the bags in Nya's hands. "Are those the ingredients I asked you to purchase?" he asked.

She nodded, walking over and handing them to him. "It was a bit difficult, though. There's a snowstorm warning in effect, apparently, and now everyone's buying whatever they can to prepare for it." She sat on the couch beside Jay. "Not to mention the snow's coming down pretty hard now."

"I certainly hope I can make dinner before it happens, then," Zane remarked. "I do not know what we would do if it gets too serious."

Kai raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean by that?"

"Apparently, Ninjago City is famous for power outages in the winter, especially if there is a blizzard."

"Well, hopefully it won't be too serious," Cole said, peering out the window at the city below. He felt a twinge of nervousness at the sight of the snow falling from the dark clouds, moving quicker with the addition of the wind. "If we still had our Elemental Blades, we could just ask Jay to bring the power back, but since we don't..."

"Hey, lightning can be used for more than just bring back the power during a blackout!" Jay protested. "But yeah, I guess I see your point. I wish we got to keep them after the battle..."

"We will just have to make do with what we have, Jay," Zane said, putting out the contents of the shopping bags one by one. "If the electricity goes out, then we will cope."

Kai sat down next to Lloyd on the floor, folding his arms and smirking. "Yeah, but these weather warnings happen all the time," he pointed out. "I mean, what are the chances that the power's gonna go out just because of a little wind and snow?"

The power went out the instant he finished his sentence. Though he couldn't see them, he could feel the glares of everyone in the room falling on him. He didn't say anything, instead giving a nervous laugh.

"You just _had_ to go and say that, didn't you?" Cole hissed.

"Hey, it's not my fault the power went out," he snapped. "You want someone to blame, go outside, scream at the sky for a few hours and see where that gets you."

Lloyd gulped. "Well, I sure hope it comes back on soon. The room's already getting pretty cold..."

Zane came to join the others, sitting down on Kai's other side. "I highly doubt the power will be out for longer than one hour. But my probability readings tell me otherwise..."

Nya sighed, inching closer to Jay's side. "Then we'll just have to hope for the best."

The group sat quietly in the darkness, unsure of what to do. Cole had brought a few blankets from the bedroom, but even with all of them draped over one another, they were still very cold. Cole huddled next to Jay, whose teeth were chattering slightly. Nya tried to focus on something other than the cold, but found the task difficult with Jay's shivering.

After two hours of waiting, everyone, minus Zane and Kai, was clutching the blankets closer to their bodies, which were wracked with shivers. Zane watched them with interest, fascinated by how much they were all affected by the decreasing temperature. Being a robot, he knew the room was cold, but he didn't necessarily _feel_ cold. He then looked over at Kai, who seemed almost unaffected by it, and was near to dozing off.

"Kai? How are you not cold like everyone else?" Zane asked.

The brunet's eyes opened, appearing almost annoyed that his sleeping was interrupted. "I'm the Ninja of Fire. It's easier for me to stay warmer than other people. Also, I have most of the blankets." He flinched when he felt Zane's cold hand touch his arm. "But that doesn't mean I can't get cold."

"You are very warm," Zane remarked, inching closer to his side.

Lloyd raised an eyebrow at this, and he, too, went closer to Kai. He sighed at the warmth coming from him. "Zane's right. It's almost like sitting next to a heater..." He eventually shut his eyes, resting his head on Kai's shoulder.

Cole, Jay, and Nya exchanged a glance, before moving down from the couch to sit around Kai, relishing in the warmth. Kai was soon surrounded by them, and he frowned, looking up at the ceiling.

"I think if it ever gets cold, we should just stay with Kai," Jay murmured, leaning on Kai's bent knee.

"Definitely," Cole sighed, slowly drifting off to sleep.

"I swear, if I wasn't trying to focus on sleeping, I'd have kicked all of you in the face by now," Kai grumbled, shutting his eyes and attempting to ignore the bodies huddled around him on every side.

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><p><strong>Now, the one thing that's different about my oneshots this time around is that I'm going to be a bit more organized. At the beginning of every oneshot, I will say who requested it (if you want to remain anonymous, that's okay, too), what they requested, and any warnings for it (violence, yaoi, etc).<strong>

**I will write anything that is not: OC pairings of any kind, Self-CenteredShipping (because I still don't understand it), or incest. Other than that, fire away.**

**Stay tuned for whatever the next oneshot will be!**


	2. Allied Affections (Cryptor x Kozu)

**Requested by: Gamer Katie**

**Request: Cryptor/Kozu**

**Warnings: Implied yaoi**

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><p>"Cryptor!" the Overlord's raspy voice hissed through the loudspeaker of the tower. "Come to me at once!"<p>

The general groaned, turning to face the Nindroids sitting at the computer monitors. "Do not stop searching for the Ninja while I am gone," he ordered. "Understood?" He felt a rush of satisfaction, if he could even call it that, when they nodded in unison.

He quickly made his way to the main room on the top floor, going to stand in front of the monitor where the Overlord's "eyes" glared at him. "What is it that you need?" Cryptor demanded. "My Nindroids and I are busy searching for the Ninja, as you are well aware."

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about," the Overlord said. "Your Nindroids are not efficient enough. At this rate, I will never escape from this prison. I need more allies to destroy the Ninja and capture Lloyd, and you are the only one I can trust with this task."

Cryptor's glowing red eyes glared at this screen. "Let's say we do find more allies. What will happen to the Nindroids? Are we to be cast aside for your new recruits?"

"No, you idiot!" he snapped. "I need both your Nindroids and new allies. The Ninja have shown themselves to be adaptable to you lot, loath as I am to admit it, and I need new enemies for them, a new way to destroy them once and for all!"

Cryptor clenched his fists at his sides, trying to prevent himself from punching the monitor right then. How could the Overlord scold them for being unable to stop the Ninja when all he did was mope around in Borg's systems? He shook his head before he spoke again.

"Understood. But where do you believe we will find these new allies?"

"Search underground, below the tower," he commanded. "I am sensing a familiar life force there. It is fading slowly, however. You'd best make haste."

Cryptor nodded, hurrying out of the room and back to where the other Nindroids were assembled. He ordered for a small group to follow him as they made their way to the base of the tower outside.

"Search for a way underground," he instructed. "If there is something there, the entrance to wherever it is will not be in..." He trailed off when he noticed an odd symbol etched into the ground. "...plain sight." He scuffed at it with his foot, noticing it was a stone panel of some sort.

Cryptor lifted his foot and brought it down forcefully, causing the panel to break into several pieces. He steadied himself when he realized that beneath the panel was a deep pit, the shards of stone clattering to the ground. He tried to see what was at the bottom, but it was far too dark, even for his night vision setting.

He let his intense gaze travel across the Nindroids. "All of you!" he barked. "I have found a passage into the underground. We will use this to find our possible new allies. Now, follow me!" When none of the Nindroids moved, instead exchanging somewhat nervous glances, he snarled, "That was an order."

He went up to the nearest Nindroid, dragging them towards the pit and shoving them in. Its electronic scream echoed from inside. Realizing they had no choice but to enter the hole, the Nindroids leapt in one by one, Cryptor being the last to follow, landing heavily on the stone floor.

From the light filtering in from the surface, he could just barely make out the outlines of human-like creatures. The other Nindroids wandered around the underground cave, wondering just what they were.

One in particular caught Cryptor's attention, and he walked up to them, activating his night vision again, hoping it would work. Strangely enough, they had four arms, and their face was completely white, with the exception of several red marks stretching across their face. Upon closer inspection, he saw that they were made entirely out of stone. They stood upright, their eyes closed, but their face otherwise tight with focus.

"You," he stated. "I know that you are alive. Now speak."

The eyes that were once shut snapped open with an audible crack, the irises a bright, eerie green. The figure adjusted their helmet, and slowly moved their stiff limbs, coming forward to stand eye-to-eye with Cryptor. At first, they spoke to him with an odd-sounding language that clearly wasn't English.

"I cannot understand a word you're saying," Cryptor growled. "Now, speak in a language I can understand, or you'll be destroyed where you stand."

The figure narrowed their eyes. "I am General Kozu, leader of the Stone Army," they finally said, their voice distinctly masculine. "You cannot destroy me, even if you tried with all your might. The Overlord created us to be invincible."

Hearing that only made his interest grow. "The Overlord created you?" When he nodded, Cryptor continued, "My Nindroids and I both currently work under the Overlord. He has ordered us to search for new allies to fight the Ninja, and now we have found you."

"If you are asking us to join with you, the answer would be no," Kozu said. "My army is in shambles as it is, after the Overlord was defeated." He looked around at the remains of the Stone Army warriors, who were also beginning to wake up. "But you say that you're going to stop the Ninja..."

"You will not be alone," Cryptor insisted. "My Nindroids will assist your warriors, and with our knowledge, and your strength, the Ninja will not stand a chance."

Kozu looked away momentarily, his eyes thoughtful. He finally looked up, nodding confidently. "I will assist you. From here on, we are allies." As he began to walk away from Cryptor, he added, "Incidentally, you have not given me your name. What is it?"

"I am General Cryptor," he replied, coming up to stand beside Kozu as the Stone Army general barked orders to his warriors in his native language. "And I have a feeling this is the start of a great companionship."

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><p><strong>Thank you, Gamer Katie, for the first request! Stay tuned for the next oneshot!<strong>


	3. Snowflakes (Zane x PIXAL)

**Requested by: LucyBrick123**

**Request: Pixane**

**Warnings: None**

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><p>"We are all different... But I don't feel so different around you."<p>

He remembered when he said this to her, when they had their first moment alone together. He remembered when she denied being different, when she said she was just herself. He remembered on that same day, after shutting down the power to the city, being by her side when she said those words to him:

"We are not so different. We are...compatible?"

Zane realized just how long it had been since that day, and how much he and PIXAL had been through together. When the Golden Master was defeated, and when he was brought out of the Digiverse to live with everyone again, they were finally able to spend more time together, and grew closer to one another as a result.

During this time, PIXAL seemed to have changed, if only slightly. Zane noticed that she was beginning to have her own way of speaking, recognizing she was starting to mimic the way some of the others spoke, especially when it came to Kai.

"Hey, PIXAL!" Kai had yelled one day. "I need to train the students, and now I can't find my sword! Where did you put it?!" She had been helping Zane to organize their classrooms for Zane's return, and had to move some of everyone's equipment to his room again, since they stored it away while he was gone.

"I am not sure," she replied calmly. "But I believe it is in a location many refer to as a closet." Zane felt somewhat amused upon hearing her speak this way. Rarely ever did she respond to anyone, much less Kai, with a hint of sarcasm.

"Oh, real funny," Kai snapped. "But seriously, I'm supposed to be helping the students with training, and now you're pretty much mocking me. As if I don't get enough of that already!" He paused. "And now I can't find those lesson plans for today. This is just _perfect_..."

"What a shame," she said, returning to helping Zane clear away more belongings.

It was as though PIXAL was becoming the opposite of what she originally said she was: an assistant, no more different from anyone else, just herself. Now, she seemed to be becoming her own person, developing her own quirks, her own way of speaking... She seemed to be embracing how unique she was.

As time went on, Zane prepared himself to ask her "the question". He had the others help him with his preparations, and followed their advice on how to carry out the question. Don't rush into it, but don't put it off to the last minute. Give her compliments, but don't overwhelm her with them. Take her somewhere nice, but not incredibly fancy. The final tip: make it memorable, but don't make it flashy.

He decided to take her on a date to the park. They both enjoyed watching the people go by, often in small groups or on their own, and sometimes some of them would stop and say hello to Zane, remembering him as the one who defeated the Golden Master. As they watched these people, Zane wondered if PIXAL had picked up any mannerisms from them, as well.

He guided PIXAL to a nearby bench, sitting down next to her. "It is a lovely day out," he commented. While the temperature was becoming cooler as the season drew nearer to winter, the sun was still shining in the sky, offering some warmth.

The female android nodded. "Yes. I am glad that you chose today for our date. Had you chosen any other day, the chances of weather like this would be much lower." She turned to face him. "But I am sensing there is another reason you chose today."

"Yes. It has been exactly four months since I was brought back from the Digiverse," he began. He took a deep, steady breath before continuing. "and I decided that such an event deserves something of even greater importance."

PIXAL stared at him in confusion. "What do you mean?" she asked. "I would think that bringing you back would always stand out as the most important event."

Zane smiled, then looked away sheepishly. He didn't know where to start, let alone what to say next. He focused on just clearing his mind, hoping an idea would come to him. When he looked back up at her, her curious gaze finally gave him an idea.

"PIXAL... You are truly special to me," he murmured. "You're unique, no matter how many times you have denied my claims."

PIXAL gave a small smile. "And I will continue to tell you I am no different than you," she replied. "You said so yourself, all those months ago. You do not feel so different around me. We are almost the same."

"On the outside, perhaps, but we both have our own personalities, our own interests, our own thoughts..." He cleared his throat and reached into his pocket. "PIXAL, can you do me a favour, please?"

"Of course."

"Close your eyes." When she did so, he pulled the tiny box out of his pocket and opened it, feeling slightly nervous upon seeing what was inside. "Now give me your hand."

PIXAL, still confused as to what Zane was planning, stretched her left hand out to him. She didn't know what to expect next, but what she felt was something being slid over her ring finger.

"You may open your eyes now."

Her green eyes darted down to look at her hand, and felt surprised by what she saw. Zane had given her a silver ring, decorated with snowflake motifs along the sides. In the centre of the ring lay a small sapphire stone, two more silver snowflakes spreading out from beneath it. She looked into Zane's eyes.

"Zane?" she finally questioned. "What is this?"

"Snowflakes, at first glance, may look the same," he explained. "Many people will not look closer, since they may not care whether some are different than others." He took PIXAL's hand in his. "But when you look closer, you will see that they all have their own designs, and they are all unique in their own way.

"People are the same, so it is said. We may all be the same, but at the same time we are all different. And out of everyone I have met...you are the most unique person I have ever met, as well as the most similar to me. I can relate to you the most out of any of my friends."

PIXAL looked down at the ring again to hide her growing smile. "What are you saying?" she asked.

Zane lifted PIXAL's hand to his mouth, kissing the back of it gently. "By giving this ring to you, PIXAL, I am asking you if you would marry me. It would be an honour if I could spend the rest of my life with you."

PIXAL was quiet for a moment. Her green gaze switched periodically from Zane's eyes to back down at the ring, then back to him again. She stayed quiet for so long that Zane started to wonder if she didn't return his feelings in that way, or that she wanted to wait for a while longer before agreeing. His voice hitched in his throat when she finally spoke.

"If it means we will stay together from now on," she murmured. "If it means spending the rest of my life with you...then yes. Yes, Zane, I will marry you."

Zane didn't know how to respond, instead pulling her close for a hug, which she gratefully returned. He had no idea how to describe how he felt at that moment. Happiness and joy didn't even begin to scratch the surface. When they pulled away, he rested his forehead on hers, a wide grin present on his face.

"We are unique, yet we aren't so different from each other," he whispered. "And now, we'll always be together...won't we?"

PIXAL gripped his hand tightly. "Always," she promised.

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><p><strong>On PIXAL's characterization: Did anyone else notice that in Codename: Arcturus she showed a bit more of a personality? To me it seemed like she was just a bit more snarky than before (not a bad thing, mind you). I dunno, just a thought.<strong>

**Thanks LucyBrick123 for the request!**


	4. Five Syllables (Jay x Nya)

**Requested by: LucyBrick123, Awesomesauce Samurai 15**

**Request: Jaya**

**Warnings: None**

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><p>Jay sat down at his desk, pulling out a piece of paper and a sharpened pencil. He took a deep breath and rubbed his hands together. "Okay, Nya," he said, determination filling his voice. "Prepare to be blinded by my creativity! I will show to you that I can be the best boyfriend you have ever had!" He raised a fist into the air. "I will not fail!"<p>

"Jay, shut up!" Cole shouted from outside in the hallway. "The entire building can hear you!"

The redhead sat back down, glaring at the door, and looked back down at the blank piece of paper. It was about a year after Lloyd defeated the Overlord, and a few months after his and Nya's one-year anniversary of when they started dating. He decided that for such an event, he would write her a poem.

Jay grinned as the pencil tip touched the paper and he began to write. "Roses are red," he murmured aloud. "Violets are..." He shook his head and put the pencil down, picking up the paper and crumpling it into a ball and throwing it over his shoulder.

"No, it has to be something original. Think, Jay, think!" He pressed his hands against the sides of his head, gripping handfuls of hair as he struggled for an idea. While he constantly said he wrote poetry often, he was now at a complete loss as to what he would write. He'd never written anything for Nya before, how was he supposed to do that now?

"Maybe we could try something else..." He pulled out another piece of paper and wrote out the first few sentences. "Hair black as night, lips red as cherries..." He crumpled the paper up again and groaned. "Already been used by someone."

Pencil to the paper. Crumple. "That doesn't even make sense!"

Pencil to the paper. Crumple. "She'll just think I'm weird if I give her this one!"

Pencil to the paper. Crumple. "Stupid, stupid, stupid! Stupid, useless, empty brain!"

Jay slammed his head against the surface of the desk, pounding his fist against it. "Why can't I think of anything?" he grumbled. He looked to the side, spotting the notebook in which he wrote most of his poems. He picked it up and opened it, curiously flipping through the pages, hoping he could draw some kind of inspiration from his previous poems.

He visibly cringed at the writing he saw. It was a complete mishmash of flowery or disturbing descriptions and words. All of the poems he wrote down were either too cheesy or too dark for him to give to Nya. He groaned again, snapping the book shut and throwing it across the room.

"I need to be inspired," he decided. He grinned suddenly. "Maybe if I talk to the guys I'll figure out what Nya likes! I'll be sure to impress her then!" Jay sprang from the desk and rushed out the door, running down the hall to Kai's room.

"Hey, Kai! You in here?!" he shouted. "I need to ask you something!"

"I'm in here," the brunet responded, poking his head out from the doorway to his small bedroom. "Can you make it quick? I just got out of the shower and I would love to wear clothing right now."

Jay rolled his eyes at the last comment. "Okay, well, I want to do something special for Nya for our one-year anniversary, and I just wanted to know what she likes. I want to be able to impress her, you know?"

Kai raised an eyebrow. "Wasn't your one-year anniversary thing a few months ago?" He shook his head, not knowing why or how he knew that. "Anyway, what does she like...?" Looking up to the ceiling, deep in thought, he said slowly, "Well, she likes you, obviously, and she likes...the colour blue, and, umm..."

"You have no idea what she likes, do you?" Jay asked, his blue eyes narrowing.

"Hey, give me a second!" Kai snapped. "I'm still thinking!" After a moment of silence, Kai spoke again, "Wait, now I remember! She likes Haiku poetry."

"Haiku?"

"Yeah. You know, five syllables in the first line, seven syllables in the second, and five on the third? It's usually written with really descriptive words, but it doesn't rhyme and it's still really simple in its own way."

Jay stared at the ground. He was surprised there was another way to write poetry besides having it rhyme. As he thought about what he would write, he suddenly came up with an even better idea than before, knowing exactly what he would write for Nya now.

"Hey, you know what else she likes?" Kai asked.

"What?"

"When you leave me alone." The fire ninja slammed the bedroom door. "Now please go away."

Jay opened his mouth to say more, to thank Kai for giving him an idea for the poem he would write, but decided against it and raced back to his own room, pulling out another piece of paper and writing once more.

Later that day, he met up with Nya outside the apartment complex, feeling a bit nervous as he looked over the Haiku poem again. He hoped she would like it, but at the same time he wasn't even sure if _he_ liked it.

"So, we can finally celebrate our one-year anniversary, huh?" Nya commented, smiling at Jay as he approached. "I'd say it's about time. Any longer, and our second-year anniversary would have been coming soon."

Jay laughed nervously. "Yeah... Um, hey, so I was thinking that for something like this I would do something nice for you, so I..." He trailed off, not sure how he would word what he would say next.

Nya raised an eyebrow. "Yes?" she said expectantly. "What did you do, Jay?"

He gulped, reaching into his pants pocket and pulling out the folded piece of paper. He looked over his poem again, then looked back up at Nya, then back down again. "I decided to write you a poem. I just don't know if you'll like it." He inhaled slowly, and after another long pause he began to read the poem out loud.

"Strong, kind, and clever," he said, his voice shaking slightly. He took another deep breath to steady himself. "A brilliant light to my life, my beloved Nya." When he looked up, she looked slightly confused, and held out her hand towards him. He handed her the paper and waited anxiously as she read over the poem.

"This... This is a Haiku, isn't it?" she asked. "How did you know I liked this kind of poetry?"

Jay grinned lopsidedly. "Well, I kinda went to Kai and asked him. I really wanted to write you a poem that you would like, and none of the stuff I wrote sounded good enough, or it just sounded weird, and I couldn't come up with anything else, so I-"

His rambling was interrupted as Nya pressed her lips against his, caressing his face in her hands. He immediately flushed a bright pink, and he kissed back gratefully, trying to stifle a nervous laugh. She stroked her thumbs against his freckled cheeks, eliciting a calm sigh from him, before she finally separated from him.

"So, uh..." Jay murmured. "Did you like it? The poem?"

Nya nodded, a wide smile present on her face. "It was wonderful, Jay. Thank you." She pulled him into a hug, resting her chin on his shoulder. "I love you so much."

"Yeah... I do, too, Nya. I mean, I love you too, not I love me, but... Oh, you know what I mean!" He frowned as Nya laughed at his awkward tone of voice, but then smiled again, remembering how much he loved to hear her laugh.

Nya suddenly pulled back from the hug, the look on her face suddenly serious. "I wasn't supposed to get you anything for our anniversary, was I?"

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><p><strong>If anyone's confused as to where the Ninja are living in this oneshot or as to where they are, they're in that Hero's Suite thing. Yeah.<strong>

**So, I'm basically doing the requests in the order that they're received, so don't worry if your request doesn't show up right after you send it in. It'll show up soon enough, don't worry :)**

**Oh, and I forgot to mention this: I'm not going to do any Ninja x Reader oneshots. Mostly because they're apparently against the rules or something. So...yeah.**

**Thanks, LucyBrick123 and Awesomesauce Samurai 15!**


	5. Odd Combination (Garmadon x Kai)

**Requested by: Guest**

**Request: Garmadon/Kai**

**Warnings: Yaoi, hero x villain ship**

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><p>Kai walked hastily into the lounge, slamming the door behind him and slumping against it, breathing a sigh of relief. Ever since Garmadon came to stay with them on the Bounty to look for Lloyd, the others would not stop talking about how he was just "a normal guy" or that he "didn't seem that evil at all".<p>

_How can everyone be so easily fooled by that guy?_ he thought as he turned on the television, hooking up the game system, grabbing one of the controllers beside it. _Am I the only sane one around here now?_

He sat down on the couch to wait for the game to load, tilting his head back and shutting his eyes. Every time he even tried to relax, all he could remember was that Garmadon, Lord of the Underworld, was on their ship. He could be preparing to attack any of them right now. He could be preparing to steal the Golden Weapons from them at any time. Hell, he could even be sitting next to Kai at this moment and he wouldn't even notice.

At that thought, Kai snapped his head to look beside him, feeling happy that the man wasn't staring back at him, that detestable grin on his face, those red eyes brimming with arrogance. Even the mere thought of his appearance sent an angered shiver up Kai's spine.

At the same time, however, a voice in Kai's head was constantly trying to fight his thoughts. _Perhaps everyone else is right_, it would say. _Maybe Garmadon doesn't want to kill you and you're just being paranoid. This is his _son_, after all. He wouldn't attack the people who were trying to help save his son_.

Kai groaned out loud, throwing the controller to his side and bringing his hands up to clench fistfuls of his own hair. "I don't even know what to think anymore!" he cried. "He's evil! That's all there is to it!"

"I wouldn't be so sure about that." Kai leapt nearly three feet off the couch at the sound of that familiar voice, and he turned his head to stare behind him. Of course, there was Garmadon, that arrogant grin on his face as always.

"How did you get in here?!" Kai whisper-shouted as the man settled himself beside him on the couch, wrapping two of his arms around the brunet's waist to prevent him from leaving.

Garmadon shrugged. "I was just in here waiting," he explained. "I was hoping I'd find someone in here eventually, and I am quite glad it was you." He chuckled at how Kai's nose scrunched up in disgust and discomfort. "You look hilarious when you get scared."

"Yeah, well, I'd really like it if you just left," he replied bitterly, trying to shove Garmadon away. He felt his frustration grow when Garmadon didn't move, but rather inched closer to his side. "I want to be alone for once."

"Aww, do you not enjoy my company?"

"To be completely honest, I'm almost disgusted by it."

"That's too bad. Out of everyone on this ship, I'd like to get to know you the most." He brought another hand up to ruffle Kai's already-messy hair, earning an annoyed grunt from him.

"Seriously, just go away," Kai snapped, grabbing the game controller again and turning his attention to the television, not bothering to look Garmadon in the eye. "I never get any time for myself anymore, and now you're ruining it. All I want is to beat this game without any interruptions."

As Kai's thumbs quickly mashed the buttons on the controller, Garmadon looked at the television screen and watched the character move across it, wondering just what was so entertaining about the game. He felt rather amused by the faces Kai made as he played, from scowling, to relaxed smiles, to a look of utter disbelief.

He had to admit, Kai was probably the most interesting of all the Ninja, with his near-constant mood swings to having a natural protective nature over his teammates and sister. It was such a strange combination of characteristics, but it was that combination that caught Garmadon's attention. It reminded him of himself, he realized, having once felt very protective over Wu while fighting the darkness that spread through his veins. Kai was just like how he was when he was young. Perhaps that was why he felt such an odd attachment to him.

As he was left to his own thoughts, he hadn't noticed that his hands were now moving up and down against Kai's sides. Kai tried his best to ignore it, but couldn't help how his sides twitched every so often from the touch. Garmadon's attention was finally brought back to the present when Kai tried to shake the hands off.

"What did I say about distracting me?" Kai growled, not looking away from the screen.

An idea suddenly came to Garmadon, and he smirked, using the two arms looped around Kai's waist to yank him closer. The brunet gave a grunt of surprise, but still held the controller tightly in his hands, keeping his focus on the game.

Garmadon shook his head in disappointment, pulling the controller out of his hands and setting it on the floor. The "Game Over" music started to play a few seconds after he did so.

"Oh, come on!" Kai yelled, turning to glare at Garmadon, only for his next angry outburst to be interrupted by Garmadon's other two arms wrapping around his body. "What are you doing?" he asked warily.

Garmadon didn't reply. Instead, he brought Kai closer into a hug, letting his hands rub up and down the fire ninja's back in a soothing manner. Kai remained very suspicious at first, not letting the scowl drop from his face. After a while, though, he relaxed and shut his eyes, gingerly reaching his arms up to return the hug.

Garmadon pulled away and he smiled again. It wasn't a normal smile, nor was it a smirk. Rather, it was an odd combination of the two, and Kai couldn't help but smile back nervously.

"I'm not all bad, Kai," the man murmured, standing up and heading for the door. "I just want to get my son back."

The smile on Kai's face grew a little wider as Garmadon left, and he bent down to pick up the controller. Turning back to the game, he saw the "Low Battery" symbol flash in the top corner of the screen. He shrugged and reached into his pocket for the spare batteries he usually kept with him when he played video games, only to find they weren't there.

Garmadon stood just outside the door, out of Kai's sight, stifling back his laughter as he heard Kai giving an overly-loud sigh of defeat, looking down at the batteries in his own hand. _He may be an interesting person_, he thought. _But he's still an idiot._

* * *

><p><strong>Two notes:<strong>

**One, even though season four is coming up quickly, I'm not going to write any ships involving the characters introduced in that season (Skylar, etc.) yet. I want to wait until those seasons are actually out to write anything for those characters.**

**Two, please do not tell me what ships I should NOT write for. That kind of rustles my jimmies. Also, it's rude.**

**Stay tuned!**


	6. Sweet Tooth (Cole x Cake)

**Requested by: Isla-Robin-295**

**Request: Cole/Cake**

**Warnings: None**

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><p>The five ninja walked down the streets of Ninjago, looking through store windows as cars whizzed by on the roads. Nya sent them shopping for groceries that day, since she and Sensei Wu were busy moving into the new shared apartment they got after Lloyd defeated the Overlord.<p>

"Alright, let's have a look here..." Kai muttered under his breath, looking down at the shopping list Nya gave to them. "We need to pick up milk, eggs, bread, shampoo for everyone and for myself...hair gel."

Jay raised an eyebrow upon hearing the last item. "Why do you need more hair gel? Can't you just be like a normal person and, oh I dunno, brush your hair?"

Kai rolled his eyes. "Without hair gel, my hair is really straight and it makes me look like my sister," he explained. "I think I'll pass on not using hair gel."

Zane walked ahead of the group, peering into the window of a women's clothing store. "These are some very strange clothing articles," he said. "Not only is the fabric very thin, but they do not look like they would hold together very well."

Jay came up to the nindroid's side to see what he was looking at, then quickly pulled him away, his face red and his eyes wide. "Zane, we do not need to look at those today."

"Perhaps we could find a gift for Nya in there?"

"No!" Jay paused, looking away in thought, before repeating. "No. L-later, right now we need to finish shopping." He pushed Zane ahead, still glancing back at the store's window nervously.

Lloyd walked by Kai's side, not knowing or caring what Jay was thinking about at that moment. As they walked, however, his red eyes narrowed in confusion. "Um, guys?" he said. "Where's Cole? He was here a few seconds ago, wasn't he?"

"He passed us...I think," Jay replied. "I'm not really sure. He was running pretty quickly."

Kai was confused at first, until the realization hit him. He groaned, slapping his palm against his forehead. "Keep going straight until you get to the crosswalk, then turn right." He had been through a situation like this many times before, and was pretty much used to Cole's behaviour now.

Zane, Lloyd, and Jay exchanged a curious glance, shrugged, then followed Kai's directions. Upon turning the corner, they saw what would have definitely caught Cole's attention. In bold pink lettering, a sign read "Ninjago City Bakery", and pressed up against the window, green eyes wide in adoration, was Cole.

"Okay, Cole, let's try to focus on shopping right now, okay?" Kai called. "Like, you know, for stuff on the list? Like we were supposed to be doing this entire time?"

Cole didn't appear to be listening, and instead squished his face closer into the window. Kai shook his head slowly from side to side, going over to try and pull him away in case the shopkeeper came out to yell at them.

Kai gripped Cole's upper arm firmly and gave a strong pull, grunting with the effort. Even after the defeat of the Overlord, Cole seemed to have been working out a lot, which only made his super-strength more noticeable. The others joined in trying to drag Cole away, but the earth ninja stayed put.

"Ugh, come on, Cole," Jay groaned. "We're supposed to be getting groceries, not dealing with your stupid cake obsession."

"But look at it, you guys," Cole finally said, his voice muffled. "Look at that beautiful work of art!"

They came up behind Cole to look in the window, and besides the somewhat startled face of an employee, they saw a double-tiered cake perched on the table near the window, coated from top to bottom in chocolate frosting. Strawberries, which were also covered in chocolate, dotted the edges of each layer, with small dollops of white cream in between each one.

"Isn't it the greatest thing you've ever seen?" asked Cole, pulling himself away from the window. "I need to buy it. I need it! Come on, where's the money we have?" He grabbed Kai by the shoulders, patting at the brunet's pockets, both front and back, looking for the money that Nya gave them to spend.

Kai pushed his hands away. "Cole, seriously, there are more important things we need to be thinking about, like actually buying groceries. Now, come on, let's just go to the store and get the stuff we need."

"But it's not that expensive!"

"Cole, the cake is over sixty bucks! Nya only gave us one hundred to spend!"

He crouched down on his knees and peered up at Kai, his green eyes glimmering hopefully. Kai looked away, not wanting to give in to his puppy-dog eyes, but he took another glance down anyway. Jay merely shook his head at Cole's pathetic attempts at getting what he wanted, while Zane and Lloyd looked on in anticipation.

Finally, Kai rolled his eyes and pulled his wallet out of his coat pocket, pulling out the correct amount of money for the cake. "If Nya kicks our butts for not being able to buy everything we needed, I'm blaming you for it."

Cole immediately jumped up, beaming, and snatched the money from Kai's hand, darting through the bakery door and straight up to the cash register.

"I...really think Cole needs to see a doctor," Lloyd mumbled.

"And probably some kind of therapist," Jay added, still frowning.

"As well as a dentist," concluded Kai when Cole came out of the bakery carrying a large white box, licking his lips. "You know, eventually."

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><p><strong>Thank you, Isla-Robin-295 for requesting! This is such a hilarious ship, you have no idea.<strong>

**And as for the previous oneshot, thank you Guest for requesting Garmadon/Kai! I can't believe I forgot to thank you for it, because now it's pretty much one of my favourite villain ships thanks to you!**

**Stay tuned!**


	7. Shooting Star (Zane x Jay)

**Requested by: PurplePandaPancakes**

**Request: Zane/Jay**

**Warnings: Yaoi**

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><p>Jay unrolled the blankets out onto the hard deck of the Bounty. Pale light from the full moon in the sky illuminated his features, showing off his excited gaze and wide grin clearer than before. He looked up at the cloudless night sky, feeling proud that he chose the perfect night for stargazing.<p>

_Hopefully Zane will be out soon,_ Jay thought as he settled down on one of the blankets, bringing his knees up to his chest. _I don't want that note I wrote telling him to come out here to go to waste_.

"Jay?" The redhead turned his head at the sound of Zane quietly calling his name. Zane was walking towards him as he spoke, a gentle tone present in his voice. "Why are you out here so late? We need to go to bed."

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Jay said dismissively. "But it's such a nice night out, don't you think? I thought maybe we could do some stargazing."

Zane sat down on the blanket beside Jay, his blue-grey eyes still showing some mild confusion. "But won't Sensei be mad if we wake up late for training? Cole and Kai would not appreciate us holding them back, either."

"Oh, don't worry about that," he replied, lying down on his side to look at Zane. He made the motion for him to do the same, and he pointed up at the sky. "Instead, look."

Zane's gaze followed where his boyfriend was pointing, seeing nothing but the thousands of stars dotted across the sky. While he felt happy that Jay was so excited about it, he couldn't exactly understand why. Was it because there was more to the stars than Zane knew? Was Jay just excited to be with him?

"My mom and dad always let me stay up on clear nights like this when I was a kid," Jay explained, noticing the confused look on Zane's face. "I'd sit up on the piles of junk and just look at the stars until I fell asleep. They'd take me back inside, tuck me into bed, and I'd wake up in the morning thinking I teleported there or something." He shook his head, face reddening in embarrassment, rolling himself over to rest on his back. "It's kinda stupid, but it's a memory."

"I do not believe my father did such a thing," Zane said, looking through his own memories for anything that seemed similar to Jay's story. "I do not believe I went outside much. Once or twice, perhaps, but it wasn't for very long."

The redhead felt a small twinge of sadness upon hearing that, and he snuggled closer, giving Zane an encouraging smile. "Well, now you have the chance to make a memory like that! You know, with me."

Zane and Jay stared into each other's eyes for a long time, neither of them daring to break the silence just yet. Then, Zane combed his fingers through Jay's hair, stretching down to kiss him on the forehead. "I would not have it any other way."

They both turned their attention to the sky once more, Jay pointing out to Zane all the names of the constellations, and Zane responding with the same confusion.

"That one's Ursa Major, but most people call it the Big Dipper."

"Why is that?"

"Because it looks like a big spoon. See?" Jay took Zane's hand in his, getting him to point his index finger. He drew invisible lines that connected the stars to one another, letting go of Zane's hand only when the blond finally nodded in understanding.

As they continued to watch the stars, Zane felt rather fascinated by Jay's sudden interest and excitement when it came to stargazing. As he searched through his database for more info on stars, he found out they were, in fact, just far-away balls of gas, but he didn't say anything about it. He had a feeling the redhead knew about that fact, anyway.

"Oh, look!" Jay said, pointing at what looked like a white streak flashing across the sky momentarily. "It's a shooting star! When you see it, you're supposed to make a wish!" He shut his eyes, deep in thought, before opening them again.

"What did you wish for?" asked Zane.

Jay playfully elbowed him. "It won't come true if you tell someone!" he laughed.

The white ninja raised an eyebrow, then thought about what he would wish for. _I do not think there is anything I want,_ he decided. _I am already having a nice time with Jay. What else would I want?_

The night went on, and Zane could tell that Jay was beginning to get tired. He would yawn several times a minute, and he could see that he was struggling to even keep his eyes open. The blue ninja had rolled over on his side again, grinning drowsily up at his boyfriend. Zane moved the hand on Jay's head lower, tracing small circles into his back with his fingers. Jay sighed happily at the feeling, shutting his eyes.

"Perhaps we should get to bed now?" Zane suggested, shifting slightly. "It has gotten very late."

Jay pouted. "Fine. But carry me in."

Zane chuckled. "Of course." He stood up, then squatted down to pick him up, letting Jay's head rest against the left side of his chest.

"And one more thing," he murmured, starting to doze off. "Can I sleep with you tonight?" When Zane nodded, he smiled one more time before shutting his eyes completely, falling asleep to the soft whirring of Zane's power source.

Zane's gaze softened at the sight of Jay's content expression, bending his head to kiss him again, this time on the bridge of his nose. "Sleep well," Zane whispered, quietly enough so he wouldn't wake up.

Tiptoeing back into the shared bedroom, Zane put Jay down on the far side of the bed, lying down beside him and pulling the blanket up to their chins. He wrapped his arms around Jay's lithe form and rested his forehead against his. The last thing he thought about before drifting off to sleep was the shooting star, which only reminded him of the love he felt for Jay at that very moment.

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><p><strong>Yeah! First NinjaNinja pairing of this collection! I feel proud. It's definitely not going to be the last yaoi pairing, either XD**

**Thank you, PurplePandaPancakes for requesting this one! I hope you liked it :D**

**Stay tuned!**


	8. For Old Times' Sake (Garmadon x Misako)

**Requested by: DragonHeart1798, CIRB**

**Request: Garmadon/Misako**

**Warnings: None**

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><p>Garmadon and Misako watched from the front of their house as Lloyd left on the Golden Dragon. Even though it had been several months after the final battle, he was still being called from nearly every corner of Ninjago to accept an award of some sort, or to give a speech, or even just to be thanked for saving everyone.<p>

The couple found it hard to believe just how much everything had changed since the final battle. Sensei Wu was planning on taking over at Darkley's and turning it into his own academy, with the Ninja and Nya as its teachers, and Lloyd almost never had any time to see anyone. As for Misako and Garmadon, their relationship changed quite drastically, with Garmadon being reformed.

Misako felt a bit nervous when he was turned good again. After spending so much time with Wu, and thinking she was in love with him, then remembering her feelings for Garmadon, she had no idea how he would feel if she told him what happened while he was still evil. She eventually decided it was in the past, and there was no point in bringing it up.

"So, what will we do today?" Garmadon spoke up, turning to his wife. "Now that Lloyd has gone off to another ceremony, we have the whole day to ourselves."

She chuckled. "You've been saying that for a few days now." She led the way back into the house, shutting the door behind them. "Perhaps we can run a few errands we've been meaning to do? We still need to buy groceries, you've been wanting to start on that new monastery for the children in this town..."

"I was hoping we would have more time just for ourselves today," Garmadon sighed.

"Weren't you the one who once said, 'never put off to tomorrow what can be done today'? I believe that applies here."

He rolled his eyes, hugging Misako from behind. "So I was." He picked up the list laying on the counter in front of them, looking it over. On it were various names of food items. "It doesn't look like this will be too hard, but it almost sounds like we're planning a feast!"

"Well, of course," she replied, taking the list from his grasp. "Lloyd told me he'll be home earlier tonight than he usually is. I thought it would be as good a time as any to hold a special dinner, just for the three of us."

Garmadon smiled, taking her hand in his and leading the way out the door once more. "Then let's not waste any time."

The couple walked down the path leading to the nearby village in a comfortable silence, occasionally glancing at each other with loving eyes. Misako was relieved that, now that the venom of the Great Devourer was no longer controlling him, Garmadon's eyes returned to a warm brown hue that Wu said they once were. Even so, she'd gotten so used to seeing him with red eyes that seeing him like this almost felt unnatural. She figured if she just gave it time, she would familiarize herself with his new appearance.

Garmadon, on the other hand, felt almost uneasy with the fact that his thoughts were no longer plagued by darkness or seething with hatred. He was in control of his mind at last, but his mind felt too empty, too barren, too blank. He needed to have something to think about, something to fill his mind with, something to help him escape the unending emptiness. He looked at Misako again.

The instant he did so, the emptiness faded. Images and memories of his beloved wife filled the empty space. From when they first met, to when they first decided to be together, to when they first had Lloyd, and to when Garmadon fell into the Underworld.

The memories continued. From when he saw Misako again on the Dark Island, to when she, Wu, and Lloyd confronted him at the beach on the far side of the island, to when he emerged from the rubble after being defeated by his son. Each memory was precious, and he made certain to hold on to each one.

In each memory, he took a note of what Misako looked like. From her kind eyes, to the way her smiles appeared to be lopsided, and to the soft, soothing sound of her voice.

"Garmadon?"

He was snapped out of his thoughts by said voice. "Y-yes?" he stammered, still a bit disoriented from being broken away from his memories so quickly. Looking around, he saw he was so deep into thought that he didn't realize they already made it to the village, and were now in the marketplace.

"I was just wondering if you wanted me to get that special tea you always liked," she replied. "It looks like there's a sale on it."

"Yes, that would be great," Garmadon answered.

It took them two hours to find everything written on the list, and several more to prepare for the dinner Misako planned for them and Lloyd. Garmadon did his best to help Misako with preparations, before he was shooed away, being told that he should just rest until Lloyd arrived. Though he was reluctant to comply, he did so, reclining himself in the armchair in their living room.

He slowly shut his eyes, which had been staring up at the ceiling previously, and thought about Misako again. Even while he was evil, he still thought about her, but this time was different. No darkness shoved the thoughts away. No hatred towards her or anyone caused him any pain. Instead, he felt nothing but a warm glow whenever he thought about their past experiences together.

When he thought about these experiences, of sitting at the peaks of mountains together, of talking together, of training together, he couldn't help but long for the joy those moments brought him. He wanted desperately to recreate those moments.

A skinny, yet muscular, pair of arms wrapping around his neck brought him out of his thoughts once more. He jumped off the chair, spinning around only to see Lloyd, still dressed in his golden gi, grinning widely at him.

"Hey, dad!" he said. "So, mom said we're having a special celebratory dinner together?"

"Yes," replied Garmadon, ruffling his son's hair. "We couldn't be more proud of your accomplishments, Lloyd. It's in your honour."

The blond grinned, the same childish grin Garmadon had remembered for years, and ran over to the table, sliding into a chair at one end just as Misako put down a plate carrying large hunk of steaming roast beef onto the tabletop.

Misako and Garmadon took their seats beside each other, along the side of the table, starting to dish out the food.

"Everything looks delicious as always, Misako," Garmadon complimented as he filled up his wine glass, then poured some of the alcoholic beverage into her glass.

She smiled proudly, then lifted her glass. "To Lloyd, our son, for everything he has done for Ninjago!"

"And to the greatest parents I could ever ask for," Lloyd added, clinking his glass with those of his parents, taking a sip of the water in his own before eating.

The family ate in silence, with the exception of the clinking of utensils against plates, Lloyd occasionally pausing in his eating to talk about what he did that day. Misako and Garmadon listened intently, since they likely wouldn't get another chance anytime soon to hear his stories.

"You know," said Garmadon suddenly, causing Misako to look up from her plate, Lloyd being too distracted wolfing down his own food to pay any attention. "We haven't had much time to spend together, just the two of us."

"We had today."

"Yes, but I mean to bond. Like we used to before I was sent to the Underworld."

Misako raised an eyebrow. "What are you saying?"

"Would you..." He searched for a location she would like. "Would you like to come with me to the peaks of the mountains we visited when we were young? Just for old times' sake?"

The grey-haired woman was thoughtful for a moment, giving him the impression she would say no. But she then gripped his hand gently, leaning in to kiss him on the cheek, smiling wistfully all the while.

"I would love that."

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><p><strong>Thank you, DragonHeart1798 and CIRB for requesting! This is such a cute pairing :D<strong>

**Stay tuned!**


	9. Moving On (Kai x Jay)

**Requested by: corpselover1426, Guest**

**Request: Kai/Jay**

**Warnings: Yaoi**

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><p>The pale light of dawn filtered in through the bedroom window, and Kai had to squint to be able to see properly through the brightness. He felt around his bed for his red hoodie, pulling it on and zipping it up when he found it. He sat on the end of his bed, leaning back and looking up at the ceiling as he wondered what he was going to do that day.<p>

_Maybe I could train,_ he thought. _Then again, there isn't much to train for... Maybe I could catch up with Zane? Wait, I did that yesterday... _He looked at the door, hoping someone would come through to invite him somewhere, or who would at least give him an idea. It usually happened on days where he had nothing to do.

At that moment, Jay burst in, slamming the door behind him and flopping onto Kai's unmade bed, pressing his face against the blankets. Kai raised an eyebrow, staring at him with a bit of frustration that he didn't knock first. He didn't understand what Jay was doing or why he was...crying?

"Jay?" he asked, putting his hand on the blue ninja's trembling shoulder and shaking him lightly. "What's wrong?" He didn't answer. Kai got up from the end of the bed, only to go around and lie beside Jay, turning his head to face him. "Come on, Jay," he coaxed. "What happened?"

Jay looked up, his freckled face blotchy and streaked with salty tears. "I don't wanna talk about it," he sniffed.

"Then why did you come in here?"

"Isn't this my room?"

"Not even close."

"Oh." Jay shrugged, turning his head again. "I guess that's just another thing I keep screwing up. What are the odds, huh?"

Kai narrowed his eyes, flipping Jay over so the crying redhead was facing him. "What do you mean by that?" he asked. "Can't you tell me what happened?"

Jay looked away momentarily, as though contemplating whether he should tell him or not. He took a shaky breath and wiped his eyes before he spoke again. "Y-you know that Love Tester thing Nya used a while back? And how she had to choose between me or Cole?"

"Yeah?"

"Well...she chose. And it wasn't me." He paused, another set of sobs wracking his lithe body. "I just... What did I do, Kai? What did I do wrong? Why didn't she choose me? Was I really that bad of a boyfriend to her?" He hid his eyes behind his arms, letting the tears stain his sleeves. "Did she ever love me...?"

The brunet couldn't help but feel bad for Jay, but felt that something had to be said about the situation, something he noticed for a long time since they first found out about the Love Tester. "Jay... I know you're upset that Nya didn't choose you. But this was her choice, not yours."

"I know, but-"

"And I know you're looking for some kind of comfort right now," Kai continued insistently. "But I really can't give it to you because you and Cole have been putting a lot of stress on her to choose, and that's really unfair to her."

Neither spoke for a while after that, and Kai watched Jay's face as realization sunk in, the redhead's eyes widening in shock and disbelief with himself. Jay let out another loud sob, shoving his face against the covers of the bed again.

"No wonder she hates me!" he cried. "I'm so stupid! I'm such an idiot! No wonder she chose Cole over me!"

"Hey, come on, now," soothed Kai, awkwardly wrapping his arms around Jay and lifting him into his lap, sitting up in the process. "Jay, don't blame yourself. I mean, I know you didn't treat her that great when you found out about the Love Tester thing, but like I said, this was her choice. Maybe she felt she needed to move on." He settled himself on the bed, holding Jay in what looked like a cradling position. "And maybe it's time for you to do the same."

Jay looked up at Kai's face, who was smiling down at him. He hadn't realized until now, but Jay liked it when Kai smiled. Not like his signature smirk, but a real, genuine smile. It was always warm, welcoming, and it seemed to make his worries melt away. Jay felt an unusual calmness settle in him, and he shut his eyes, leaning his head on Kai's shoulder.

"And, you know..." said Kai, getting the blue ninja's attention again. "I wouldn't mind it if we decided to...date, or something."

All Jay could do at that point was smile back at him. He realized that it wouldn't be too bad of an idea to date Kai instead of Nya. Was it because they were related? The siblings didn't have too much in common, but he did notice similar features between them, the smirking being one thing, their thin eyes being another.

"Then I guess in that case...I'll definitely move on from Nya," he murmured. "I mean, just as long as you don't find it awkward that I'm basically dating my ex-girlfriend's brother, 'cause I totally understand it if you do."

Kai shrugged. "It happens."

"Besides, I always did kinda like you," Jay admitted, blushing and looking away. "In fact, that's why I came in here, I knew this wasn't my room and I wanted to tell you how I felt and...stuff."

"Then in that case, I'm happy it was me you visited, because I think I've liked you from the start, too." The smirk returned. "So I hope you don't mind if I do this..."

He leaned down and gently pressed his lips to Jay's, in an attempt to show that they were now dating. He felt a bit surprised with how Jay responded, by tugging on the front of Kai's hoodie to bring him closer and to deepen the kiss. Their mouths moved in sync with each other, Kai giving a surprised gasp when Jay bit his bottom lip to get his mouth to open. Feeling a bit hesitant, Kai obeyed, moaning into the kiss as Jay's tongue dipped into his mouth. Jay blushed upon hearing Kai's sounds, and threaded his fingers through his spiky hair to make the moment more intimate.

The kiss abruptly ended when Kai pushed Jay away gently, his face bright red. "Okay, we might be dating now, but...how about we slow down just a little bit?" he panted, giving an amused smirk.

Jay laughed in embarrassment. "Right, sorry. Just got a little carried away."

Kai shrugged. "Don't worry about it. We just have to take it slow for now. We haven't even been on our first date yet."

"Well, how about we go somewhere tonight?" he suggested. "I heard about this nice restaurant not too far from here. We can go there."

Kai smiled again, happy that he found himself loving Jay, and that he finally had something interesting to do that day. "I think that sounds great," he said, hugging his boyfriend close.

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><p><strong>Eh, awkward ending is awkward. <strong>

**Thank you to corpselover1426 and Guest who requested this pairing! I hope it was okay, and the ending wasn't too awkward .**

**Stay tuned!**


	10. Mutual Crush (Cole x Kai)

**Requested by: IceFreak101, corpselover1426**

**Request: Cole/Kai**

**Warnings: Yaoi**

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><p>Cole remembered the odd feeling he got when Kai nuzzled his side yesterday after winning the talent competition. Onstage, no less. It was such an odd feeling of both embarrassment, and a strange urge to return the unexpected affection from the red ninja. He remembered how furiously he blushed beneath his hood when it happened. He wondered if anyone noticed it. Did Jay and Zane see it?<p>

_Probably_, Cole thought. _Really hope they didn't, though..._ He'd had a crush on Kai for a while now, and the hug - no, the _cuddle_ - Kai gave to him had made his thoughts about the brunet much more...intense.

He shook his head, feeling another thought about Kai coming quickly, and picked up his scythe again. He spun the weapon easily in his hands, swinging it down to cause a tremor, weak enough so not to disturb the others in the Bounty.

"Hey!" a voice called, making Cole freeze. He turned, gulping when he saw it was Kai, a cheeky smile upon his face. "I heard you were training out here. Mind if I join? Who knows, maybe it'll help me find _my_ True Potential."

The black ninja smirked. "And then you'll become the Green Ninja, I'm guessing?" he joked. "Fine, but don't worry; I'll try to go easy on you."

Kai glared at him, but Cole saw a playful gleam in his eyes. "I'll show you how well I can fight!" He unsheathed his sword, twirling it before pointing the tip at Cole's chin. "Come at me!"

"Gladly!"

He brought his scythe up to throw Kai's sword out of the way, before kicking the red ninja in the stomach. Kai winced, but recovered quickly and brought his sword down again, letting loose a fireball. Cole jumped out of the way, blocking another blow from Kai's sword with his scythe.

"I gotta admit," Cole panted while shoving Kai away. "You're still pretty strong, even if you haven't gotten your True Potential yet."

"Well, what can I say..." Kai gave his sword a sharp thrust forward, knocking Cole backwards and causing him to drop his scythe. "...you shouldn't play with fire!" He threw his own sword aside and sprang at Cole, tackling him just as he was about to stand up. He held him down on his stomach, feeling Cole go limp before he reared and flung Kai off, sending him skidding across the deck.

Kai brought his hands up to block a punch, then swung his leg out to trip Cole. The black-haired teen landed with a thud, and Kai chuckled triumphantly. Just as the brunet thought he had won, Cole immediately sprang back up, grabbed Kai's shoulders, and forced him onto the ground, pinning him on his back.

"I win," Cole said, not budging even as Kai struggled against his hold.

Kai gave a sigh of defeat. "Fine, but don't think we're done yet. Once I reach my True Potential, and become the destined Green Ninja, we'll have another rematch, and then we'll see who's laughing!"

"Oh, I think it'll still be me laughing," he replied with a grin. He didn't move from off of Kai, getting distracted by his dark brown eyes, realizing now just how warm of a brown they really were. It was such a comforting shade, and he felt like he could stare into his eyes forever.

Kai, on the other hand, felt a bit disturbed by how intently Cole was looking at him. Not only that, but the position they were currently in did not help matters; Cole had his arms pinned above his head, while he straddled his hips. He had to admit, though he had a bit of a crush on Cole, and though he hugged him yesterday, he certainly did not feel comfortable being like this.

"Uh, are you gonna move, or...?" Kai trailed off, a heavy blush spreading across his face. Cole raised a bushy eyebrow and looked down at where he was seated.

"Oh! Right, sorry." He quickly got up, taking Kai's hand in his to help him up off the ground. He looked away in slight embarrassment as Kai gave an awkward-sounding cough.

"So, uh, thanks for letting me train with you today," Kai finally said, going over to pick up his sword.

Cole nodded briskly, picking up his scythe. "Yeah, no problem." He watched as Kai turned to leave and, after a moment's hesitation, called, "Wait! I want to talk to you about something first."

The shorter ninja came back, stopping to stand half a foot away from him and raising a scarred eyebrow in confusion. "Yeah?"

Cole took a deep breath before speaking, hoping everything he wanted to say would come out right. "So, yesterday... When all of us danced together and won the competition... You hugged me. And it wasn't just in a, 'you're my friend' way, either. It was more in like a, 'we should totally hook up' kinda way. Why was that?"

"Oh, that? That, um... I was just caught in the moment, you know? I was just really glad that we won and everything, so I just did...that." The brunet fought for the right words that wouldn't hint at his true feelings for the earth ninja. But one look at Cole's face told him he didn't buy it. He felt his heart sink to the pit of his stomach.

"Kai, if you like me in that way, you can come out and say it," he said calmly. Cole's heart was beating a mile a minute, hoping that he wasn't just misinterpreting Kai's behaviour for an inability to tell him how he felt.

"You won't be mad? Or weirded out?"

Hearing Kai say that made relief wash over him, and his thudding heart slowed down considerably. He smiled and shook his head. "No. Because I...I think I like you, too."

Kai came closer, a nervous smile growing on his face. "Really?"

Cole reached out to hold Kai against him, mirroring the brunet's shaky grin. "Yep." To confirm his feelings, he kissed Kai's forehead gently, feeling his own face grow hot from the contact.

Kai rested his head against Cole's broad chest, nuzzling him again just as he did the day before. "That's... That's the best news I've heard all day. I never knew if you liked me back, so I just kept it all in and now..." He didn't speak after that. Instead, Kai brought his arms up around Cole's neck to return the hug, smiling all the while.

Cole didn't remember the last time he felt so happy, except perhaps when he finally gained his father's respect the previous day. He tightened his hold on Kai, happy that his secret crush wasn't a secret anymore.

They didn't separate for another five minutes.

* * *

><p><strong>Ah, Lavashipping. You don't see much of it anymore. Pity.<strong>

**Okay, now I know that episode 35 has been leaked, and it looks like Kai/Skylor (or Skylar, I'm almost certain it's with an 'O', though) is going to be canon. But I still won't be accepting any requests relating to the newer characters, since we know very little about them.**

**As for requests themselves, don't worry if I don't get to yours right away. I'm taking on at least 13 of them at the moment, and they will be posted as soon as they're finished. Bear with me please :)**

**Thanks to IceFreak101 and corpselover1426 for the request! Stay tuned!**


	11. It's The Rules (Lloyd x PIXAL)

**Requested by: Guest, LucyBrick123, ForeverDreamer12**

**Request: Lloyd/PIXAL**

**Warnings: Very slight yaoi**

* * *

><p>Lloyd hung one last ornament on the enormous pine tree that Cyrus Borg brought in for the Christmas party they would be throwing that evening. He stood back to admire his work, turning on the string of lights hanging on the branches and smiling at the bright colours. He looked around at everything else he had done. Aside from hanging lights around the windows, he decorated the main floor of Borg Industries with varying colours of tinsel, set the lights to a gentle, alternating red and green, and, at Cole and Jay's request, hung mistletoe under nearly every doorway.<p>

_I bet this'll get everyone into the Christmas spirit_, he thought proudly, heading over to the doors.

He poked his head out of the automatic doors to see the Ninja, Nya, Sensei Wu, Cyrus, and PIXAL standing outside, huddled together to protect themselves from the cold winter wind. He beamed at them. "You can all come in now."

He lead everyone in, feeling a rush of happiness when he heard everyone's gasps of surprise. They wandered over to every corner of the enormous room, checking out the decorations and admiring Lloyd's work.

"And you did all this by yourself?" Cole asked. "I'm pretty impressed, kid! I didn't think you were up for it!"

Lloyd shrugged, giving his voice a modest tone when he spoke, "Well, it wasn't easy. You have no idea how hard it was trying to hang the lights." He cringed at the memory of him getting tangled up in the lights after trying to hang them using his Spinjitzu, thinking it would be more efficient.

PIXAL's green eyes were wide, taking in every aspect of her surroundings. "I don't understand," she murmured. "What are all these decorations here for? Is there a celebration of some sort?"

Zane appeared at her side. "In a way, yes," he replied. "It will be Christmas soon. Around this time, people celebrate by exchanging gifts and spending time with the ones they love."

Jay snorted and turned to Cole. "Well, in that case, it looks like you'll have to leave. No one here likes you." He grinned when Cole glared fiercely at him.

"Anyways, Lloyd had the idea to throw a Christmas party for us all this year," Zane continued. "He believed it was the best way for us to spend time together, so Cyrus let him use the main floor for the location of the party."

Lloyd smiled excitedly, taking one of PIXAL's metal hands in his. "See, come look at this." Zane let her go with Lloyd as he showed her around, pointing out the importance of each decoration. "We put presents under here," he explained, gesturing to the Christmas tree. "And the lights just make everything more festive."

PIXAL took note of the red and green colouring of the main floor. "But what about the red and green?" she asked. "What importance do these colours have for this holiday?"

"Uh..." Lloyd bit his lip in thought, not completely understanding why red and green were associated with Christmas, either. "Well, you know...they're..." He shook his head. "I don't really know, actually. I think it has something to do with the religion associated with it, or the plants people have for it around this time of year... I'm not sure."

"Is it a tradition to have red and green as the main colours?"

"Pretty much." He led her to one of the doorways, pointing up. "And that," he said, referring to the bundle hanging from ceiling, "is mistletoe. When you meet someone under it, you have to kiss them." He looked over at the bundle Cole and Jay were standing under. "Like that."

The pair both raised an eyebrow and looked up, instantly leaping away from each other. "Oh, I am _not_ kissing you!" Cole yelled.

"Yeah, well at least we agree on something!" Jay retorted. "I would rather have a truck run over my own tongue than have my mouth come within two feet of yours!"

Kai snickered from beside Nya. "Too late, it's the rules," he said, smirking. "You two have to kiss. Gender and how you actually feel about each other doesn't matter."

Cole and Jay turned to glare at each other and leaned closer. In about a fraction of a second, they darted in, pecked each other on the lips, and leapt away just as quickly. Cole wiped at his lips in disgust, while Jay spluttered.

"Kai, I need you to burn my lips off," the redhead hissed. "Like, now."

PIXAL frowned and looked up, noticing the mistletoe hanging between her and Lloyd. "If the rules of the mistletoe state that those who meet beneath it must kiss, then that means we must kiss, correct?" she asked.

"Wait, what do you-" He realized where they now stood. "Oh, right. Well, I don't know. Maybe...?" He looked over at Zane, who was too busy admiring the decorations to notice him and PIXAL beneath the mistletoe. "Yeah. But quickly. I don't want Zane to see."

"Why? Would he be angry?"

"I don't know, maybe. Mistletoe has a way of making a lot of couples have...conflicts."

He took a deep breath and looked up at the android, realizing now just how tall she really was. PIXAL took note of this, bending down just enough so all Lloyd had to do was stretch up on the tips of his toes. Lloyd touched his lips gently to her cold ones, keeping an eye on Zane the entire time. He felt a bit surprised when PIXAL started to kiss back, and he began blushing slightly. He broke away abruptly when it looked like Zane was turning toward them.

"Is that all?" PIXAL asked. "Nothing more?"

"Uh, yeah," Lloyd replied, feeling a bit nervous now that he saw the suspicious look in Zane's eyes. "But let's not bring this up in front of Zane, okay? I don't want to get beaten up by him for Christmas."

She smiled. "Oh, I'm sure he would not do something like that. But if it makes you feel better, then I promise I will not talk about it with him."

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><p><strong>Time to get excited for Christmas! *throws tinsel in everyone's face*<strong>

**Thank you to Guest, LucyBrick123 and ForeverDreamer12 for requesting this pairing! Never realized how popular it was. Huh.**

**Stay tuned!**


	12. First Christmas (Kai x Lloyd)

**Requested by: NinjaMelissa, lovestarr**

**Request: Kai/Lloyd**

**Warnings: Yaoi**

* * *

><p>Kai awoke to the feeling of something tickling his nose. He slowly opened his eyelids, seeing Lloyd curled up in his arms against his chest, his blond hair being what woke him up. He grinned, giving the top of his boyfriend's head a long kiss, before moving down and giving Lloyd another kiss on the cheek.<p>

"Good morning," he murmured against his soft skin, causing Lloyd to stir. "And Merry Christmas."

Ruby red eyes opened to stare at Kai in tired disbelief. "It's Christmas already?" he asked sleepily, giving a big yawn. "It feels like it was only just yesterday that we were celebrating Halloween." He sat up in the bed, stretching out his arms and back. "You think the others are up yet?"

Kai looked over at the clock on the bedside table. It read 7:38. "Maybe. We can go check." He pushed the blankets to the end of the bed, dangling his legs over the side as he, too, stretched his limbs out.

"Carry me."

The brunet turned and raised an eyebrow at Lloyd, who looked at him with a cheeky grin. "Come again?" Kai asked, more amused than confused.

"I'm too tired to walk," he explained. "I want you to carry me out." Just as Kai was about to protest, Lloyd flopped back down on the bed dramatically. "I guess I'll just have to die in this cold room without you."

Kai shook his head, finding it odd that the Green Ninja himself was feeling too lazy to walk out of their bedroom into the living room, which was literally the next room out, on his own. He got up and walked over to Lloyd's side of the bed and picked him up, cradling him in his arms.

"You are such a lazy boyfriend," he grumbled, keeping a playful tone in his voice.

"Maybe, but I'm _your_ lazy boyfriend," Lloyd protested. He leaned his head in to kiss Kai's collarbone beneath the fabric of his pyjamas. "And I don't think you could've chosen better."

He rolled his eyes, nudging the bedroom door open and entering the living room. Looking around, he didn't see anyone, but he definitely heard someone singing quietly to themselves in the small kitchen. Kai tiptoed quietly to the counter, leaning in to see who it was.

Zane suddenly popped his head up from below, smiling when he saw Lloyd curled up in Kai's arms. "Merry Christmas to you both," he greeted. "I was making preparations for breakfast this morning. Is there anything special you would like?"

"Anything you make is great, Zane," said Lloyd. "As long as you don't make anything that tastes like Cole's cooking, I think we'll be just fine."

"Of course." Zane looked up at the clock on the wall. "The others will be up soon. Until then, you will have to wait a while."

Kai carried Lloyd to the couch and sat down, letting the blond's head rest on his lap. He brought his hand up to gently comb his fingers through the blond locks, listening as Lloyd hummed his approval. "So, are you excited to see what I got you for Christmas?" he asked.

"Yeah," Lloyd murmured. "But this year Christmas just feels weird, you know? Like I said before, it doesn't even feel like Christmas. Also..." He trailed off, a thoughtful frown upon his face.

"What?"

"It's the first Christmas where my dad isn't evil," he said. "Every year before now I was so used to not being with my family, not having a gift to give anyone, not having anyone giving me a gift... Now that it's actually happening, I just don't know how to feel."

Kai's eyebrows knitted together in disbelief. "You've never spent Christmas with anyone?" Even though he had been in the same situation when his parents passed away, Kai still had Nya to celebrate Christmas with, and didn't exactly know how to react to what Lloyd just said.

"Well, I guess maybe when I was really little," Lloyd admitted. "With my mom, I mean. But I can't remember much about it. I don't even remember if my dad was ever there. I guess I can understand it if he wasn't; he wouldn't want to go into one of his sudden evil breakdowns."

"Evil breakdowns?" Kai was only becoming more confused by the minute.

"I don't understand it either, but he apparently just got really unstable sometimes, and had to leave my mom for a while. She says that when it happened it always made her feel kinda sorry for him." He shrugged. "But, yeah... This is the first time I'm spending Christmas with my family."

Kai stopped stroking Lloyd's hair for a moment. "Wow... I never knew. I'm really sorry about that, Lloyd."

"It's fine," he assured. "I mean, I have you guys now, my dad's good again, and back with my mom, and...I have you." He took the hand stroking his hair into his and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "I'll be fine. In fact, I don't think I could be any better."

"If you say so." Kai got up from the couch and went over to the Christmas tree, bending down to pick up one of the presents and bringing it over to Lloyd. "I got this for you."

Lloyd sat up and smiled at him. "You didn't have to get me anything, you know."

"Yeah I did, don't deny it." He put the gift in Lloyd's lap, looking at him eagerly. "Open it up."

Lloyd nodded, tugging on the bright red bow, and looked at the label. "To Lloyd, Love Kai", it read. Simple and probably the default option for the label, but it still made him happy to see it. He ripped the wrapping paper to find a small leather book inside.

"It's a photo album," Kai said, looking away as he blushed. "I know it isn't much, but..."

Lloyd opened it to see the pictures inside. The very first one was of him and Kai, the latter having his arms wrapped tightly around the former, loving smiles on both of their faces. Lloyd flipped through the photos, getting a bit teary-eyed when he saw the pictures of them together, whether they were with the team or just the two of them on their own.

"I love it," he said, feeling his throat tighten with emotion. He put it off to the side and flung his arms around Kai's neck. "Thank you so much, Kai."

Kai returned the hug, giving Lloyd several kisses on the cheek. "You're welcome. Merry Christmas, Lloyd."

* * *

><p><strong>Merry Christmas, and Happy Holidays, everyone! I hope you all have an awesome day, whatever you celebrate!<strong>

**(Oh, and just for future reference, Skylor's name is in fact spelled with an 'O'. Please be sure this gets around. Thanks.)**

**Thank you to NinjaMelissa and lovestarr for requesting this pairing! Stay tuned!**


	13. Rewired (Jay x PIXAL)

**Requested by: DeliciouslyDangerous1**

**Request: Jay/PIXAL**

**Warnings: None**

* * *

><p>Jay sat atop one of the several piles of junk, resting his chin on the palm of his hand. He sighed. He and the other Ninja had just driven off the Nindroids that invaded his parents' junkyard that day, and were now waiting for them to come back to tell them they would be safe for now. Although he was happy that everything ended up being fine in the end, even with the revelation that Sensei Wu was now evil, he still felt upset about Nya's possible feelings for Cole.<p>

_And she won't even tell me what wire she cut_, he thought sadly. _What if it_ was _black? What if she doesn't like me anymore? What if-_

"Jay!" His thoughts were interrupted when he heard Nya calling him from below. "I could use your help for a moment!"

"Coming!" He picked his way down the pile of junk, sprinting over to his parents' mobile home sitting at the base of another pile. He took a deep breath before entering, hoping this time Nya would tell him what wire she cut. Upon entering, his curiosity only grew when he saw PIXAL was also inside, seated in a chair with one of her chest panels open.

"So, you remember how Zane gave PIXAL half of his power source, right?" said Nya. "Well, I was just thinking that her system might react negatively to it sometime in the future, so I figured we could adjust some of the wiring so it'll be more compatible with the new power source."

"I have not felt any adverse side effects of having a new power source," PIXAL pointed out. "But I trust your judgment. Besides, my probability ratings state that there is indeed a likelihood of such negative effects, however small."

Nya grinned, then turned to Jay. "So, I was wondering if you'd like to help me out. There's probably lots of stuff lying around here that could make it easier for us."

Jay nodded, trying to remember what there was that they could use. "I think I remember seeing a few more wires outside on one of the junk piles near the entrance," he said. "I can come show you where they are if you like." He held up his poker face as best as he could, secretly hoping Nya would invite him along.

To his disappoint, she shook her head. "I think I'll be fine on my own. I'd like it if you could have a look at what I've done so far, just to be sure we're on the right track."

"Uh, okay! Sure! Good luck finding the wires!" He did his best to sound cheerful, but the corners of his mouth twitched downward slightly when he forced a smile.

"Thanks!"

Jay's smile faded as soon as Nya turned her back and left. He trudged over to PIXAL, putting on one of the pairs of safety goggles laying on the table beside her and got a closer look at the power source. Needless to say, the wiring was a mess, several of them no longer connected to anything. He tried to remember the last time he had messed with Zane's wiring, and got to work from there.

He worked in silence until PIXAL spoke up. "There is something troubling you," she stated. Jay looked up to see her bright green eyes staring back down at him intently.

"I... I don't know what you're talking about," he said, dismissing her gaze and trying to focus on what he was doing again.

"Do not try to hide it, Jay. I know that there is something wrong. My sensors indicate that you are not normally like this."

Jay connected one of the wires to the mechanism holding in the power source before he looked up. "It's none of your business," he insisted. "Besides, I don't think you'd like what I have to say."

"Is it about me?"

His look of defiance fell away the instant she said that, immediately being replaced by a look of discomfort. He diverted his gaze to the floor, not speaking for a long time. When he realized PIXAL wasn't about to drop the subject, he looking up again and said, "In a way, yes."

He continued when she raised an eyebrow in confusion. "When you said that Nya's perfect match was Cole, it made really...really upset. Me and Nya have been together through so much, and I never thought I'd find another girl as perfect as she is."

"I see," PIXAL said thoughtfully. "When I said that Cole and Nya made a better match, it made you feel as if you were not good enough for her, correct?"

His blue eyes widened in surprise when she said that; he wasn't expecting her to understand how he was feeling. "Yeah, actually. And now that she might actually have feelings for him, a-and now that I don't know what she's gonna do next, I just..." He took a shaky breath. "I just feel so...useless, I guess. I don't know."

She watched as Jay lowered his head, lip quivering, and she slowly lifted her hand to stroke his hair, unsure of what else to do. "But as you said, you do not know who she will choose," PIXAL murmured. "So she could choose Cole...or she could choose you. You are still in a relationship with Nya, right?"

She felt Jay relax slightly, and he slowly lifted his head, eyes shimmering with unshed tears. "Y-yeah," he muttered in response.

"Does that not mean you still have a chance? Not only that, but wouldn't it be an even greater chance since your relationship has gone on longer than her relationship with Cole in general?"

He looked to the side and shrugged. "That makes sense. Maybe you're right." He looked back at what he was doing earlier, and plugged in one final wire before shutting the chest panel. "Well, you're good to go for now. We'll just wait for Nya to get back."

"Thank you for assisting in the rewiring, Jay," PIXAL said with a small smile. "If anything happens, I will be sure to contact you first."

"I..." He trailed off, and knelt down to wrap his arms around her in a gentle hug, leaving her a bit confused again. "I should be thanking you. I hope you're right about the whole thing with Nya." He pulled away, and saw PIXAL give a nod of acknowledgement.

"I'm back!"

Jay turned to see Nya coming in through the door, several wires in her clutch. "Sorry I took so long. I was looking through the junk pile for ones that weren't frayed or damaged." She looked over to see PIXAL's chest panel was closed. "Was everything okay?"

Jay nodded. "I made sure they were plugged into the right places, no biggie."

"Good! We'd better get to work on the rest of the wiring, before your parents return."

As the pair got down to work again, PIXAL watched Jay fiddle with various wires and switches in her chest panels, seeing how he would occasionally glance over at what Nya was doing, always smiling whenever she spoke. Seeing him this happy put her mind to work, and she thought about what she'd said to him before.

_Maybe I am wrong_, she thought. _Perhaps Cole and Nya_ are _a perfect match. And perhaps...Jay is my perfect match, just as Cole is Nya's._

* * *

><p><strong>... Please don't kill me for mentioning the possibility of Nycole being canon. I'm too cute for that.<strong>

**Still not taking any requests relating to the characters from the new season. (But I think I've decided that Karlof is my favourite of the new characters, next to Skylor :3)**

**Now, let's have a look at requests... *sees she still has several that were made back in November to do* ... *loud, ugly sobbing noises***

**Thank you to DeliciouslyDangerous1 for requesting this pairing! Stay tuned!**


	14. Stuck With You (Cole x Jay)

**Requested by: LucyBrick123, Guestperson, BlackNBlue39, DivingHydra, corpselover1426**

**Request: Cole/Jay**

**Warnings: Yaoi**

* * *

><p>"Enjoy the rest of your night!" the hostess called as Cole and Jay exited the restaurant, both turning briefly to nod their thanks and joining hands. Jay pressed himself against Cole's side, smiling up at his boyfriend lovingly.<p>

Cole was thankful that Jay was more comfortable with showing affection in public now. The redhead had gone from not even wanting to look him in the eyes in public to outright kissing him in front of anyone. Sure, they often received strange, sometimes disgusted, looks from strangers when they did this, but neither of them cared. As long as they were happy, nothing else and no one else mattered to them.

Cole led Jay to the elevator going down to the main floor of the mall, letting him walk in first and pressing the button for the main floor. As the doors slid shut, Jay leaned up to kiss Cole on his cheek.

"Were you going for one of those 'kiss while the doors are closing' kind of things?" asked Cole with a smirk. "Seriously, you need to stop watching so many movies. They're full of nothing but cheesy stuff."

Jay shrugged. "Maybe." The couple waited in a comfortable silence as the elevator descended, looking over at each other occasionally. The elevator was normally slow, but at that point it was going so slow they wondered whether they would ever reach the main floor.

It soon creaked to a halt, but the doors didn't open. Jay raised an eyebrow and looked up at the blinking floor number. It looked like they were stuck between the second and main floors. He groaned in frustration and sank to the ground, folding his arms across his chest.

"This is just great. We were having such a good night, too," he grumbled. "But now the elevator's busted, and who knows how long it'll be before we move again!"

Cole sat down beside him, wrapping an arm around his slim shoulders. "Hey, come on, we'll be fine," he assured. "I'm sure the elevator will be up and running again soon." He smiled, bringing his head down so their cheeks were touching. "And when we get home, we can cuddle or something."

Even after all they had been through, with the whole love triangle issue with Nya, and going from tolerating each other, to hating each other, to somehow falling in love with each other, Cole and Jay found it in them to show nothing but love for each other when they were alone. Though they still fought often, they remembered how it nearly divided them completely in the past, and easily recognized their own mistakes and made amends.

But Jay wouldn't have any of it now. He shrank away from Cole, bringing his knees up to his chest. "Thanks, but right now I just wanna be left alone."

The black ninja withdrew his arm from Jay as the redhead continued to sulk. He wondered what it was that was bothering Jay so much. He only started showing these emotions now, and he wondered if there was anything that perhaps hinted at how he felt. He realized that Jay had been very affectionate for the entire night, which seemed a bit odd even considering his feelings towards showing such affection in public.

Cole decided that enough was enough and said, "Tell me what's wrong."

Jay lifted his head. "There's nothing wrong," he replied. "I'm just frustrated by the elevator being broken, that's all."

"Are you sure? Is there something else that's bothering you?"

"I'm very sure. There's nothing wrong, Cole." He continued to sulk for a few moments, but he could still feel his boyfriend's intense gaze on him. He sighed, and mumbled, "Maybe."

Cole beckoned him to come closer, and Jay scooted over to his side, hanging his head. Cole tilted his chin up so he was looking him in the eyes. "Tell me what's on your mind, Zaptrap."

Jay smiled at the old nickname before he spoke. "Like I said, I feel upset that the elevator's stopped, but we've been having such a good night so far, and I was hoping to get a lot of stuff done today! Like some more inventing, I wanted to cook something for you, I wanted to get a head start on some poetry I've had ideas for... But no, here we are, in a broken elevator!"

Cole nodded. "I understand. I mean, there's a lot of stuff I need to do, too." He looked off into the distance for a moment. "There's a lot of stuff we still have to talk about. I'm pretty sure you know what I'm talking about, right?"

Jay's heart nearly stopped. He turned to stare at Cole incredulously. "We can talk about it now!" he said quickly, fighting down the joy threatening to burst from him at any moment.

Cole was taken aback by Jay's sudden shift in mood, but continued anyway. "Jay, we've been together for a while now, and I'm surprised I'm saying this, but I really love you. But I think we need a little change in our relationship. That's why I think we should-"

"Yes!" Jay threw his arms around him in a tight hug. "Yes, yes, yes! I think so, too! We'll have a great life together, Cole! I knew I wasn't the only one who felt this way!"

Cole frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"Uh... Weren't you gonna propose just now?" When Cole shook his head slowly, he separated himself from him, a devastated look in his eyes. "If... If you weren't gonna propose, then what did you..." The look of devastation grew even more. "You're not saying we should break up, are you?"

"No! Of course not!" he insisted. "I was just gonna say we really need to talk about getting schedules for groceries and stuff. You're always going on your own; you never bring me with you. I want to at least be able to go out once."

"All you would get is cake."

Cole frowned. "You don't know that." He brought his hand up to his chin, thinking quietly for a moment. "But getting married doesn't sound like such a bad idea either... Of course I'd have to get a ring..."

Jay hugged him again, dotting Cole's face with numerous tiny kisses. "I don't care," he murmured. "I'll wait as long as I have to, just so I can be stuck with you for the rest of my life."

Cole smirked, pulling Jay into his lap, returning the kisses. "Like I said, we have got to get you to stop watching those cheesy movies of yours."

The couple didn't move from the floor, too caught up in their emotions to move anywhere else. In fact, they were so caught up in what they were doing that they didn't realize the elevator started to move again, and was soon on the main floor. The doors opened, revealing a couple and their child waiting to get on, their faces showing nothing but confusion at the sight of Cole and Jay cuddling.

* * *

><p><strong>Wow, Bruiseshipping was requested by a lot of people. I love how popular it is :D<strong>

**Thanks to everyone who requested this pairing! Especially you, BlackNBlue39, for giving me the idea of a proposal oneshot :)**

**Stay tuned!**


	15. Understanding (Zane x Kai)

**Requested by: LucyBrick123, corpselover1426**

**Request: Zane x Kai**

**Warnings: Yaoi**

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><p>Kai remembered when he first met Zane. He remembered how weird he thought the blond was, and how he made an effort to avoid him whenever he could. He remembered how unusual his sense of humour was, how he couldn't make a joke around Zane without him asking whether he was supposed to find it funny or not. Kai always found him to be matching his element of ice in this sense, believing him to be just as cold.<p>

But that was before that one day. It had been the morning after he found Zane sitting in the refrigerator, having eaten most of its contents, the morning he, Jay, and Cole told Sensei Wu about how strange Zane was. It was the morning Zane revealed to them he had no home, no parents, and was basically an orphan all his life.

Kai could understand him at that point. He realized most of Zane's cold behaviour was likely from being around others who had their family close to them. He wondered if Zane felt jealous because of this, if he desired what they all had.

Then, the following day, when the monastery burned down, Kai blamed it on Zane. He still felt guilty because of his actions, believing that, despite Zane saying he saw the bird and followed it, that it was because of what he said to him that caused him to leave.

Even now, as Kai lied in his new bed in their new home, dubbed the Destiny's Bounty, he felt the guilt eating away at him, threatening to devour him unless he did something about it. He quietly groaned and sat up, looking around at the others. They were all sound asleep. He climbed down from his bunk and tiptoed out of the room.

He wandered aimlessly through the halls, listening to the muffled snores of the others echoing off the walls. He soon found himself standing outside on the deck, and he walked over to lean on the railing, peering down at the desert below. Kai shivered, realizing it was a horrible idea to be outside this late, but he didn't know where else to go.

"Kai?"

He jumped at the sound of his name and whirled around, letting out a shaky sigh when he saw it was only Zane. "Hey."

"What are you doing awake at this hour?" the blond asked, coming over to stand beside him. "We have training early tomorrow morning, and Sensei will be most upset if you are unable to train at your best."

"I know, I just couldn't sleep," he muttered, resting his chin on the freezing railing, wincing as the cold hit met with his skin. "I have too much on my mind right now. I'll work it out, though. You don't have to worry about me."

Zane watched the brunet for a long while, noticing how his eyelids drooped, then blinked rapidly to stay awake, then drooped again. Not knowing what to do, he placed his hand gingerly on Kai's shoulder, rubbing it in a comforting manner. He felt Kai's shoulder twitch, but he didn't shrug Zane away.

"I would like to know what is wrong," he murmured. "I do not want you to lose any more sleep than you already have over this."

"I..." Kai searched for the right words. He didn't want to hurt Zane again, and he had to know exactly what it was he wanted to say. "I'm sorry, Zane. For earlier. When I said the monastery burning down was all your fault, I didn't mean... I didn't want to hurt you, I was just upset, and..."

Zane drew him closer. "I already said that I forgive you. I know that you did not mean to make me feel upset. It's all right."

"No, no it isn't," Kai protested. "I was horrible to you, and I can't be forgiven for that. Especially after you told me how you've never had a home, and you can't remember your parents, because..." He trailed off, letting Zane take in his words. "... I know how it feels. To feel like you don't have a family."

"But you have Nya," he reminded him. "Isn't she also your family?"

"Yeah, but I mean not having parents. Mine were...well, they were murdered. And Nya and I have been orphans ever since it happened. We took care of each other, but you..." He shook his head, hoping he wouldn't come off as too blunt. "You didn't have anyone like that, did you?"

The blond looked down, a sad look in his normally blank eyes, and shook his head. "I did not have a sibling figure, or a parental figure, like you did. I just had villagers who took me in and helped me."

"That's exactly it, though," Kai said. "You've had it much worse than I have, and you didn't deserve the things I said to you, or about you, or anything. But I want you to know that I'm here if you ever want to talk or something. So..." He sighed deeply. "I'm sorry, Zane. I'm sorry for being so insensitive."

The rubbing on Kai's shoulder stopped, and he wondered if what he said offended Zane somehow. He felt the worry building up inside him again when Zane suddenly pulled him close, hugging him tightly. Kai's face was pressed up against the ice ninja's collarbone.

"Thank you, Kai," Zane whispered, his voice shaking slightly. "Perhaps our pasts are not exactly the same...but you understand me. Even if only by a small amount, you understand how I feel." Kai's face lit up in a heated blush when he felt Zane's lips connect to his forehead. "Thank you. And I forgive you. Please remember that."

Kai nodded, smiling shakily before he leaned into the hug, shutting his eyes. He wondered if Zane knew how significant kissing him was, but he brushed away the thought. He would've been happy enough even if he did know.

"Are you feeling better now?" asked Zane, pulling away.

Kai looked up, still smiling. "Definitely." It was as if the guilt eating his heart had been completely destroyed, leaving nothing but a sense of peace, and affection for Zane.

* * *

><p><strong>Oppositeshipping is very important. Don't forget that.<strong>

**Eh, I feel a bit iffy about this one, but I'm not sure why. Oh well.**

**Thank you to LucyBrick123 and corpselover1426 for requesting this pairing! Stay tuned!**


	16. Stronger Than Most (Lou x Misako)

**Requested by: DeliciouslyDangerous1**

**Request: Lou/Misako**

**Warnings: None**

* * *

><p>Misako looked down at the address written on the scroll again, looking around the small village for the third time for the house. She received a request from someone who asked for a scroll that described the theatrics and dance of Ninjago in ancient times. She found it rather strange, since she normally didn't deliver scrolls to anyone, as well as the fact that the client remained anonymous.<p>

She shrugged, and finally spotted an older-looking house with the address she was looking for on the door. She walked up and knocked on the door three times.

"Use the bell!" a man's voice called from inside.

Misako raised an eyebrow, looking to the side and spotting the doorbell. She nearly jumped back when she rang it, the voice singing "Welcome" startling her a bit.

The door opened not long after, and a middle-aged man stood in the doorway. His neatly groomed black hair and bushy eyebrows made her think she should know the man, but no specific name came to her. His brown eyes looked her up and down, and he grinned.

"Perfect timing! I was beginning to think you wouldn't make it!" he said.

Upon hearing his voice, Misako's eyes brightened. "Lou? Is that really you? I thought you seemed familiar, but I wasn't sure..."

"Wait, Misako?" Lou's smile went from polite to sincere. He stepped aside to let her in. "Come inside! It's been such a long time since we last spoke. Was it since you graduated high school? Heh, to think I was only a freshman back then. Anyway, come in!"

_He's just as kind as ever,_ she thought with a grin, walking inside and letting him close the door behind her. The subtle smell of lavender greeted her as she walked in, and she looked around at the pictures hanging on the walls. Several were newspaper clippings, all with headlines describing something called "The Royal Blacksmiths".

"Remember when I told you I wanted to be a performer?" Lou asked, coming up to walk beside her. "Well, I am proud to say that I've achieved that dream! Singing, dancing, acting... I've had the pleasure of doing it all."

"That's wonderful!" she replied. She took another look at the walls, seeing shelf after shelf of trophies covering one side. "You must be excellent at performing to have gotten all of these awards."

He smirked, brushing off his shoulder in mock sheepishness. "Well, I wouldn't say that..."

"Daddy?" A younger voice sounded from the room ahead. Misako looked in, turning her head from side to side. She eventually looked down to see a chubby boy, around four years old, staring up at her, flinching a little when they made eye contact. His black hair was much unlike his father's; it was overgrown and hanging in his face.

She looked over at Lou, who merely smiled and walked up to the boy, bending down to lift him up into his arms. "I guess I should've mentioned I have a son now," he said. "This is Cole. Son, this is Misako. You can say hello."

Cole's wide green eyes stared at Misako intently, a frown upon his lips. "H-hi," he muttered, before ducking his head and hiding his face in his father's shoulder. Misako smiled at his shy behaviour, coming forward to pat him gently on the head.

"He's adorable," she said. "But aside from his hair colour, he looks almost nothing like you."

"Yes, he gets his looks from his mother," Lou replied, leading her over to the couch, setting Cole between them. "But he'll definitely be getting his performance skills from his father. Isn't that right, son?"

There was the uncomfortable look in the child's eyes again. Cole shrugged before climbing off the couch, walking with shaky legs over to the set of building blocks in the middle of the room.

"He's not very social, is he?" asked Misako.

Lou sighed. "I'm still working on it. I'm hoping he'll come around eventually. It won't do him good if he's an antisocial performer, now will it?"

Misako noticed that Cole kept glancing behind him to stare at his father, the same nervous look in his eyes. She wondered if he even wanted to be like his father at all. Did he even enjoy listening to the conversation they were having about Lou's career?

In an attempt to change the subject, she asked, "So, where is your wife? Cole's mother? Is she here right now?"

For once, Lou was silent, and he looked down at his hands. "Ah... You see, that's the thing. I'm raising Cole on my own."

"On your own? Why? Was she unsuitable as a mother for him? Was she abusive?"

"Oh, no, no!" he assured her. "She was nothing of the sort! In fact, she would've made a great mother!" He looked away again, his gaze fixed on Cole, who was stretching up on tiny toes to put the last block on his tower. "When she gave birth to Cole...something went wrong. She wasn't... S-strong enough to make it through."

She winced, just now realizing it was a poor subject to switch to. "I'm sorry, Lou," she said. "I didn't mean to..."

"No, it's fine. I'm just worried what will happen when Cole gets older, and he asks about her." He cast his gaze over to Cole, who had knocked over his tower of blocks and had his tiny fists raised in the air in triumph.

Misako put a hand on his knee. "I'm sure Cole will be able to handle it. I don't know why, but it almost feels like he's...stronger than most children his age." She was mainly referring to Cole's willingness to put up with his father pushing him to be a performer, but she didn't expect Lou to realize it.

Lou smiled. "Perhaps his mother gave him some of her strength," he suggested. "She always was a capable woman." He looked at Misako with caring eyes. "Like you."

She smiled back at him, and handed him the scroll. "Here. I have to get going. My own husband with be worried if I'm back too late."

"Of course. It was good seeing you again, Misako!" Lou put the scroll aside and crouched down next to Cole. "Say goodbye to Misako," he told him.

Cole waved at her as she left. "Bye-bye," he said, returning to his demolished block tower. Misako waved back, turning the doorknob and exiting the house.

As she walked back to the monastery where Wu and Garmadon were, she looked up at the sky, remembering how Cole and Lou interacted with each other, feeling a bit envious of the obvious adoration Lou had for his son.

_I wonder if Garmadon and I will have a son one day._ She grinned, deciding that all she could do at that point was hope.

* * *

><p><strong>Whew! The last one<strong>**shot for 2014! What a wild ride it's been!**

**Thank you, DeliciouslyDangerous1 for requesting this pairing! Stay tuned! And Happy New Year!**


	17. On My Mind (Zane x Cole)

**Requested by: Gamer Katie, Howling Wolf Pup**

**Request: Zane/Cole**

**Warnings: Yaoi**

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><p>Cole and Jay watched from afar as their new teammate swung his sword awkwardly at the wooden dummy. The teen, named Zane, looked much older than them, at least eighteen. Cole and Jay, being younger than he was, were a bit nervous to speak to him at first. He seemed very distant, and his cold blue eyes never showed any kind of emotion. Sensei Wu told them he was just quiet, but Cole couldn't help but wonder if he even liked them.<p>

Jay was the first to try speaking to Zane, trying to make a joke about how quiet he was. "I mean, you don't have to be nervous to talk to us," he had said. "Does the cat have your tongue or something?"

Instead of laughing like Jay expected him to, Zane simply shook his head. "I do not have a feline in my mouth," he replied, not even showing signs of a smile. "And my tongue is where it has always been."

The redhead cleared his throat awkwardly. "No, that was a joke, Zane. I just wanted to know why you're so quiet, and why you won't talk to us."

"Then why did you not just say that?"

Jay groaned, throwing his hands up into the air. "You know what? We'll work on it, your sense of humour. We're gonna make sure you know what should be laughed at, okay?"

Zane merely shrugged, returning to his training. Jay frowned and walked back over to Cole, who had been watching the scene unfold before him. Just from observation Cole could tell that training with Zane was going to be difficult, especially if he continued to be as distant as he was.

"I dunno, Cole," whispered Jay, quiet enough so Zane wouldn't hear. "I don't know how I feel about this guy. He's too...weird." He held back a yelp when Cole elbowed him in the ribs.

"He probably just needs time to adjust," he said. "You remember what Sensei Wu said, right? He was training all by himself in a village, a really underpopulated one at that. It's no wonder he's like this." He looked back at the blond, still swinging the sword and missing the dummy each time. "Whether he'll be a good fighter is another matter..."

After another hour of watching Zane, and pretending to train when he looked at them, he walked up to them, hands behind his back. "What shall I make for dinner?"

Cole raised an eyebrow. "It's my turn to cook tonight-"

"Anything," Jay quickly interrupted. Knowing how terrible of a cook Cole was, he didn't want the new recruit to be turned away from them _that_ quickly. "Just make sure it tastes good. Please."

When Cole turned to glare at Jay, Zane bowed politely. "Then it will be ready when you come inside." The teen turned and retreated inside the monastery, leaving the pair to stare after him.

"Well, that was...weird," Cole admitted, a bit miffed that he wouldn't be cooking that night. _And I had a new recipe I was gonna try out, too..._ he thought.

About two hours later, Zane called them inside, and what they saw on the table surprised them the most. Four small steaks were laid out onto a large plate for them and Sensei Wu, with bowls of mashed potatoes and salad on the side. The smell of the food alone had Jay nearly drooling. The blond seated himself, looking at everyone with the same blank expression.

"You are all free to eat," he said, serving a steak for himself.

Cole looked down at his food, still displeased he wasn't able to cook for them tonight. _My stuff probably would've tasted better,_ he thought bitterly. He cut a small piece of the steak and lifted it to his mouth. _I bet this'll just taste like..._ When he bit down, his eyes went wide, his heart nearly stopping. _Like the food equivalent of heaven itself._

Jay had eaten some of the food at that point, and was nearly driven to tears by how delicious it was. "Zane, when I said to make it taste good, you didn't hold back! This is awesome!"

"It was just something I was taught by the villagers," he said calmly. "It is nothing to be overly excited about."

Watching Zane deny Jay and Sensei Wu's compliments made Cole feel a little jealous. He worked harder than anyone to make his food taste decent at best, and all Zane had to do was throw a few herbs onto a steak to make it taste fantastic, all while he denied his skill in cooking?

Cole had trouble sleeping that night, mostly because he was thinking about Zane. On one hand, he wanted to like him and he wanted to help him train properly, but on the other hand, he wondered if Zane even needed it. If he had such high skills in cooking, who was to say his actual fighting abilities were also better than Cole's?

He woke up earlier than he thought he would that morning, at around six-thirty. He turned his head to the side, seeing that Jay was still sound asleep. Looking over at Zane's bed, however, he saw the blond was gone.

Cole got up from his bed, tiptoeing out of the room so not to wake Jay, and began his search for Zane. He peered into every room he could; the bathroom, the kitchen, the living room. No Zane.

He soon had the idea to look outside at the training course, and, sure enough, there was Zane, dressed in the black ninja uniform Sensei Wu had given him, still swinging clumsily at the wooden dummy with the sword.

Fed up with Zane's way of fighting, Cole walked up behind him and put a hand on his shoulder. "Widen your stance," he instructed.

Zane jumped, whirling around and nearly slashing Cole across the face with the sword. He soon relaxed, murmuring, "You startled me. Why are you out here?"

"I couldn't sleep," he answered flatly, turning Zane around and adjusting his shoulders into a correct form. "Now, like I said, widen your stance."

The blond nodded, spreading his legs just slightly. "Like this?"

"Yeah. Now fix your grip on the sword." As Zane fumbled with the handle, Cole looked over to the other weapons hanging on the racks along the wall. "Or maybe you could try a different weapon. You know, one that's not as big as a sword?" He picked the shurikens off the rack and handed them to Zane, taking the sword from him. "These'll probably be better for you. Jay and I never liked them, but..."

Zane looked over the shurikens in his hands, and he eyed the dummy carefully. He stepped back a few feet and lined up his target, gripping one shuriken tightly. He flicked his wrist, and in an instant the small weapon was embedded in the wooden neck, a few splinters breaking off.

"Huh. Not bad," said Cole, not sure how else to respond. It was clear to him now that having Zane train with a sword was pointless, seeing how well he performed with the shurikens.

Just as Cole turned away to head back inside and get another hour of sleep, a cold hand gripped his arm, causing him to look over his shoulder. Zane, though his eyes were emotionless as ever, was _smiling_. It was unlike any smile Cole had seen before. It seemed so genuine and honest that he couldn't look away even if he tried. He wasn't sure if he even _wanted_ to look away.

"Thank you for helping me, Cole," Zane said, the smile not faltering in the slightest. Just the way Zane said his name made Cole's heart beat faster. He smiled shakily back at the blond before he responded.

"No problem." Zane let go after a few short moments, and Cole added, "If you ever need help with anything else, I'm here, okay?"

"Of course."

Cole climbed back into his bed, looking over at the clock. It was almost seven o-clock. He figured he could get in at least forty-five more minutes of sleep. What he wasn't expecting was his thoughts to still be filled with Zane, and for _completely_ different reasons than before.

* * *

><p><strong>Well, once again, Happy New Year everyone! First oneshot of 2015! :D<strong>

**Thank you to Gamer Katie and Howling Wolf Pup for requesting this pairing! Stay tuned!**


	18. Not Your Fault (Nya x PIXAL)

**Requested by: Isla-Robin-295, Guest, LucyBrick123, DerpyDove**

**Request: Nya x PIXAL**

**Warnings: Yuri**

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><p>PIXAL sat in silence, watching as the city continued its daily activities. It had been two days since Zane's death - she hated to think about such a thing - and everyone was still weighed down with grief. She hadn't seen the other Ninja for a long time, guessing they were preparing for the memorial that would take place in a few days. Even Cyrus was making something for the memorial: an enormous statue of Zane to remember him by.<p>

But PIXAL didn't care. She didn't want any part in the preparations. She didn't want to remember him as being dead. She wanted _him_. She wanted to see him, to hear him, to know he was still with her.

_But that is impossible,_ she thought. _He is gone, no matter how much I try to deny it. Oh, Zane..._

She barely noticed when Nya approached the bench she was sitting on. The samurai didn't say anything, merely giving a polite nod and sitting down beside her. PIXAL was about to tell her she just wanted to be left alone, but something about her presence was oddly comforting.

Glancing over at her, she saw that Nya looked just as upset as she was. She was looking down at her hands, eyes blank, lips formed into a narrow line. It was difficult to tell what she was thinking about. It could have been Zane's death, or it could have been the ongoing issue with Cole and Jay.

She scooted closer to Nya, hoping she would take it as an offer of comfort. Nya looked up, gave a half-hearted smile, then looked back down again. PIXAL rested a hand on her shoulder.

"Are you also upset about Zane?" she asked.

Nya shrugged. "Yeah, and Jay hasn't spoken to me since it all happened. All because I hugged Cole." Her tone quickly changed to that of frustration. "I don't get it. I didn't even see Jay at that point, what did he get all mad at me for?"

On top of the sadness PIXAL already felt over Zane, she felt guilty, believing Nya wouldn't be in such a situation if it weren't for her saying Cole was Nya's perfect match, right in front of Jay. "I'm sorry. It is my fault that they are pressuring you to choose between them."

"No, PIXAL, it's not your fault at all," Nya assured, straightening up. "They would've found out at some point; it was only a matter of time. Don't blame yourself."

PIXAL sighed. "But it is true. And what happened to Zane... If I went with him, maybe none of this would have happened. Or if I convinced him to stay behind, then he would still be here..."

"No, no, PIXAL, none of this is your fault," she said, putting her hand on the one on her shoulder. "This was something Zane decided to do. This was something he felt he had to do to save everyone, okay? It's not your fault, it isn't anyone's fault."

Though she didn't believe what Nya said, she felt a little reassured, looking away from Nya's gaze. "But you still have Cole and Jay to deal with, don't you? I cannot be excused from my involvement with that."

"No, they're both just being idiots," Nya replied dryly. "They just can't see that I can care about both of them equally." She slumped on the bench again, groaning. "Guys are so overrated." She chuckled once. "I guess we're both having boy issues at the moment, huh?"

PIXAL tried to smile, but it faltered. She rested her head on Nya's shoulder, sighing. "What are we going to do now? We have to help in the preparations at some point so that no one starts to worry themselves over us."

"Let them. We're all grieving right now."

Nya had a point. Though the city and the streets continued to go about their daily routines, everything seemed to have slowed down, or even quieted completely. Even the birds were silent, as though they were having their own memorial. Zane's falcon never seemed to leave the area where he passed on, constantly circling in the sky above the area.

It was strange. Though no one knew Zane quite like Nya, the Ninja, and PIXAL did, they were grieving just as much. PIXAL figured that he must have been much more influential to them than she initially believed. On the other hand, it could just be from the weight his sacrifice had. If he didn't cause the Overlord's defeat, where would any of them be?

"You know, we don't get to talk much," said Nya suddenly, snapping PIXAL out of her thoughts. "There's been so much going on lately. We should do something together."

"I agree," PIXAL replied. "But I do not know what humans would do in these times. I have not left Borg Industries to do anything for my own pleasure, so I do not have any suggestions as to where we should go."

Nya stood up. "I say anywhere we won't find boys. I don't know about you, but I've had just about enough of them." She reached a hand out for PIXAL to take. "But we could go shopping or something. Just to take our minds off of...well, everything."

PIXAL gave a small smile, taking Nya's hand and letting her pull her off the bench, not letting go. "What would we shop for?"

"Well, I _do_ know this clothing store in the mall. I saw a dress there that I think would look really nice on you." She gave PIXAL's metallic hand a comforting squeeze. "Don't worry, PIXAL. Everything's gonna turn out fine, you'll see."

PIXAL nodded, returning the squeeze as Nya led her away and down the street, still holding hands. _Yes,_ she thought. _I must believe that. Everything will be okay._

* * *

><p><strong>You know, I was going to do this pairing after the previous oneshot anyway, since it was requested a while back, so you reviewers must be psychic. Wonder if you can guess the next pairing, too :3<strong>

**I dunno, maybe there will be more opportunities for yuri between Nya and PIXAL soon, or even with Skylor (that's still how her name is spelled, by the way. It's spelled incorrectly in the character listings here -_-).**

**Thank you to those who requested this pairing! Stay tuned!**


	19. Here For You (Garmadon x Misako)

**Requested by: CIRB**

**Request: Garmadon/Misako**

**Warnings: None**

* * *

><p>It had been about five months since Misako decided to stop travelling Ninjago to stay with Wu and Garmadon at the monastery. Though the brothers were very tense with each other due to the evil spreading through Garmadon's veins, she was enjoying her time with them very much. When she wasn't helping them out with housework, she would train with them, which included having them teach her Spinjitzu.<p>

However, in spending time with them, Misako came to feel something other than just a strong bond with them, something other than friendship. They treated her with nothing but respect, were strong and believed her to be the same, and they were, she had to admit, quite attractive. She felt so strongly about both of them that she started to wonder if they noticed.

_Hopefully they haven't,_ she thought to herself over and over again. _I wouldn't want something like this to split them apart even further._

That evening, she was helping Wu and Garmadon prepare dinner. The brothers had argued for about half an hour about what would be having that night, before they eventually made a compromise: fried rice with noodles, as well as steaks.

Everything was going fine, they had just begun setting the table, when Garmadon suddenly crouched at the edge of the table with a wince. He gripped the edge with one hand, his lips forming a tight line and his eyes squeezing shut.

Wu noticed this, putting the plate he was holding on the tabletop and hurrying to the brunet's side. "Garmadon? Just calm down, you'll be fine," he said, resting a hand on his shoulder.

Garmadon's eyes opened slightly, and Misako could see his eyes flickering red wildly. "P-please, leave me," he hissed through clenched teeth. He dropped the plate he was holding, the pieces scattering around his feet.

Misako looked at Garmadon, then at Wu, then back at Garmadon. "Is there anything I can do to help?" she asked, coming closer.

He sprang away from the table, his glaring eyes now a glowing shade of ruby. "No!" He raised his hands to his head, rubbing his temples as he backed away to the hallway leading to his bedroom. "Misako, Wu, please do not speak to me for the remainder of the night."

"Will you be wanting dinner at all?" Misako asked, still concerned for him.

"No. Goodnight to you both." He exited quickly, slamming the sliding door shut behind him.

Misako and Wu exchanged worried glances, before Wu shook his head sadly, returning to setting the table. She frowned. "You're not going to go after him? You aren't going to help?"

"There's nothing that can be done," he sighed. "Garmadon has been like this for years. He has to spend some time alone, to calm himself down." When she was about to protest, he put his hands gently on her shoulders. "He's had many of these evil breakdowns before, Misako. He knows how to handle this."

Misako stared into his eyes for a long moment, wondering whether she should listen to him or not. At this point, she realized that now was a good time to make her decision. She could either stay with Wu, or go to Garmadon. She reached her hands up to hold Wu's, giving both hands a gentle squeeze.

"Misako?" he whispered. "Please tell me you won't..."

She lifted his hands off her shoulders, giving him a small smile. "I'll be fine, Wu. Don't you worry." Her hands slid from his grip, and she turned down the hallway, heading towards Garmadon's room.

Misako didn't even have to look inside to tell he was having difficulty with this specific breakdown. She could hear the sounds of fists hitting walls and furniture from outside the door, and she could hear him talking to himself, each word laced with agony.

Gripping the handle, she took a deep breath, then slid the door open. She ducked just in time to avoid being struck in the head by a dagger. Her eyes widened at the sight of Garmadon, his brown hair tangled in his clenched fists, shaking and crouching all the while. One glimmering red eye opened to peer up at her.

"Garmadon," she said calmly. "It's okay."

"What did I tell you?" he snarled. "Leave!"

"Garmadon, please-"

"_Leave!_"

He lifted a book from his desk, flinging it at her with such a force that, when she ducked to avoid it, it stuck in the wall, shards of wood falling from where it hit. Misako got back up just in time to block a punch, swiftly moving out of the way of each of his attacks.

Misako soon grew tired of dodging and occasionally blocking so, when she found a chance when he wasn't attacking, she sprang forward, wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling him close against her own body.

"Garmadon," she repeated. "You're okay. You just have to focus on calming down."

"Let go of me, Misako!"

"Just breathe."

His fingers dug into her back as he fought against her hold, but she held on, rubbing her hands up and down his back in a comforting manner. They stayed like this for a while, no exchange of words made, until Garmadon's breathing finally slowed, and he sighed.

"Are you okay?" she asked at last, pulling away to look him in the eyes. They had faded to a dull red now that he was calm. "Is there anything else I can do to help you?"

He stared at her sadly, then hung his head in shame. "Misako, I... I'm sorry. I shouldn't have put you through all that. It was unfair to you, and I should have been able to control my emotions better, but it all just..."

"Don't worry," she murmured, smoothing back his brown locks. "I'm fine. And if you need anymore help in the future, I'm here. I'll help you stay calm when something like this happens again."

"But Misako... I can't let you get hurt. Not because of me. Please, I can handle this on my own, you don't have to-"

She silenced him with a kiss on the forehead. "I can't fix this. Not completely. But I can help you get through it." She tilted his head up so she was staring into his eyes. "We will find a way to get rid of the evil in your veins. Together."

Rather than saying anything in return, he just smiled sadly, trying to get himself to believe those words. Little did he know, Misako was wondering whether she believed what she said herself.

* * *

><p><strong>*crawls out of grave made of schoolwork* I'M ALIVE! I've been preparing for exams and stuff, and I'm currently in the middle of them. Hopefully I can make it through. My English exam didn't go too well and I think my soul is dead after that experience .<strong>

**Anyway, how's that season four going, huh? Neuro's so wonderful, I really like Skylor so far, and it looks like the love triangle's dead :D**

**Anyway, thank you CIRB for requesting this pairing, and stay tuned!**


	20. Taste Test (Garmadon x Zane)

**Requested by: IceFreak101**

**Request: Garmadon/Zane**

**Warnings: Yaoi, hero x villain ship**

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><p>The warm scent of spices filled the small kitchen. Zane was moving back and forth between different pots on the stovetop, stirring and adding different ingredients to each. Though he moved quickly, he remained somewhat careful not to let a speck of the stew he was making splash on his frilly pink apron.<p>

Garmadon had just joined the Ninja in their search for Lloyd, and would be staying on the Bounty with them for the time being. Everyone was feeling less than supportive of letting the dark lord live with them, including Zane, but Sensei Wu made it perfectly clear he was to be treated with as much respect as any other guest.

At first Zane was reluctant to accept Garmadon as a "regular guest", but after watching his mannerisms and how he acted around the others, the white ninja found him to be somewhat fascinating. Sure, he was undoubtedly evil, but when he wasn't trying to kill them, he behaved like any other normal human being would. Well, minus the random bouts of evil laughter and usage of four arms, of course.

Zane was just adding another spice to the stew when he felt a hand suddenly grab his shoulder. Surprised by the contact, he whirled around, only to see Garmadon grinning at him.

"I heard you were making preparations for dinner," he said casually. "I came to see how you were faring."

"That is unusually thoughtful of you," the nindroid replied, returning to adding the spices. "But I am doing just fine. It should be ready in approximately four minutes and thirty-seven seconds."

"Well, then in that case, I should probably tell you that I won't be eating any of your food," Garmadon said. "Not because I think it will taste terrible, although that does add to the reason, but I have certain...dietary restrictions."

"Oh?" Zane turned his head again, raising an eyebrow. "And what are they? I would not want to be so inconsiderate as to give you something you are incapable of eating." It felt strange to say that, with it being directed at Garmadon, but he had to at least act polite.

Garmadon held out one of his hands, a metal container Zane didn't notice earlier in his grasp. He pulled the lid off, and Zane had to suppress a gasp as he saw it was nothing but a thick black sludge, with black maggot-like creatures writhing and squirming around here and there. The blond wrinkled his nose as Garmadon picked one of the creatures up and waved it around in front of his face, smirking.

"Condensed evil," Garmadon explained. He threw the creature up into the air, catching it in his mouth. Zane cringed at the squelching noise it made. "It's like a candy for someone as evil as I am." He picked up another, holding it out towards Zane. "Care for one?"

Zane shook his head quickly. "N-no, I am perfectly fine, thank you," he stammered, looking away as Garmadon ate it. "But thank you for notifying me of your dietary needs. I hope you enjoy your, er... Condensed evil, was it?" He went back to the stew, picking up the wooden spoon beside the pot and stirring it slowly.

Garmadon put the lid back on the container and watched as the nindroid cooked, noticing how eager he was to stop talking with him. He frowned at the thought. _So they still don't want to accept the fact that I'm here,_ he silently concluded. _Well, in that case, I'll just have to get them to show a little more respect._

He peered over Zane's shoulder at the stew he was making. While the scent may have been rather warm and enticing to anyone else, he found it to be somewhat repulsive. It could have been because of his being turned evil several years before, but at that moment it didn't matter. At that moment, he came up with an idea to get at least one of the ninja to accept the fact that he was staying with them.

Zane lifted the wooden spoon from the stew and brought it to his mouth, giving it a taste. He smiled and nodded to himself; it was just the right texture and flavour. He put the spoon in the sink, and was about to call the others down for dinner when he felt a hand touch his hip. The blond froze, turning his head to see Garmadon grinning at him again.

"What, you aren't going to let me have a taste test?" he asked. "How cold of you. And after I offered you some of my own food, too."

Zane raised an eyebrow. "I thought you said you had dietary restrictions, that you could not eat the food that I made."

"Yes, but wouldn't it be more polite to at least offer? I wouldn't want your teammates to dislike your cooking."

Zane couldn't find a way to reply. Instead, he shook his head. "Of course. Let me just find you another spoon and-" He was cut off as the hand on his hip spun him around. He was too surprised to stop Garmadon from pushing him against the counter and pressing their lips together forcefully.

He tried to shove Garmadon away, but his hands were brushed away as easily as if they were pesky flies. One pair of Garmadon's hands pinned Zane's against the counter, while the other pair held onto his sturdy shoulders. Zane hoped that Garmadon would separate soon, but he felt a wave of disgust wash over him as he felt Garmadon's tongue glide slowly over his cold lips, sometimes going over the same spot twice.

The kiss ended as soon as it began. Garmadon smirked as Zane stared at him, his silvery-blue eyes wide and questioning.

"I believe the stew is fine," he said. "I hope you and your friends can come to accept the fact that I'm staying with you all soon. I only want to find my son, after all." He strode out of the kitchen, his food container tucked under one arm, as though nothing at all had happened.

Zane continued to stare after him, his mouth agape. He realized at that moment that Garmadon still had his "taste test", but it certainly wasn't in the way he, or anyone else, for that matter, would have suspected. He shuddered again, as though he was still feeling the kiss.

"He is 'fascinating', that is for certain," Zane murmured to himself, picking up the pot of stew and giving a heavy sigh. This would be a long couple of days.

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><p><strong>It took way too long to come up with an idea for this oneshot :,D<strong>

**(I will not apologize for writing this pairing. It was requested, so I wrote it.)**

**So, season 4's still awesome. I think it's my favourite so far :)**

**Thanks to IceFreak101 for requesting this pairing! Stay tuned!**


	21. Never Happened (Garmadon x Kai)

**Requested by: Guest, ninjagofangirlrb, Kindness to Everyone and thing**

**Request: Garmadon/Kai**

**Warnings: Yaoi, hero x villain ship**

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><p>Kai trudged through the dense forest, scrunching up his nose at the feeling of the slimy mud squishing beneath his feet. They'd been on the Dark Island for a few days, and were now looking for the location of Lord Garmadon's camp, if he even had one set up. That morning, Cole suggested that for now they split up their search, and report back to the Bounty on the other side of the island in the afternoon.<p>

While Cole and Jay searched along the beach, and Zane went along the forest paths, Kai chose to search the forest's depths, thinking it would be easier to both navigate and to stay hidden. He only realized now, however, that it was not one of his best decisions, not that he would ever admit it out loud.

He held back a yelp when the mud suddenly became deeper, and he sank up to his mid-thighs in the sticky substance. He gave a frustrated groan, looking around for something he could use to pull himself out. He reached for a low-hanging branch not far from where he was and pulled. He tried not to gag at the sucking noise the mud made as he pulled himself up and onto sturdier ground.

He looked down and scowled at what he saw. "Oh, this is just perfect," he muttered out loud. His pants had been completely stained with mud, and his he legs began to grow cold from the soaked fabric. Stiffening, he continued his search, waddle-walking the entire way.

Kai's legs had grown sore by the time he realized he had just been going in circles the entire time. He sighed, sitting down at the base of a tree and resting his back against the trunk. He looked up to see the sun just barely peeking out from behind the clouds, enough so that he could tell it was about noon.

_Everyone should be getting back from their search shortly,_ he thought. _I'd better get going, too._ He stood, wincing as he stretched out his sore legs, and started back the way he thought he originally came.

He didn't make it far when a hand took a firm hold on his hood, pulling him backwards. He immediately started to panic, being unable to see exactly who it was. They spun him around, slamming him up against another tree. When his head stopped spinning from the impact, he narrowed his eyes in contempt at who he saw.

"Garmadon," he growled. "You finally decided to stop being such a coward and actually look for us?"

"I should say the same for you, fire ninja," Garmadon hissed back. He looked down at Kai's muddy clothing and snorted. "And it doesn't look like you're faring too well. You were a fool to stray this far from your teammates. Unless you're planning on surrendering, of course."

"Oh yeah, totally," he sneered. "Like you'll ever be able to destroy us! Lloyd will defeat you, just you wait!"

Garmadon shook his head, letting go of Kai's hood only to move his hands down to his shoulders, holding him in an almost crushing grip. "Oh? And what will the rest of you do? Stay on the sidelines while all the glory is given to someone else? Don't think I didn't hear about what happened after _I_ defeated the Great Devourer." He saw Kai's determined expression falter, even if only for a second.

"No, we're going to _help_ him defeat you. It doesn't matter who the hero is, as long as you're defeated!" Before Garmadon could respond, he quickly added, "Anyway, why aren't you destroying me right now if you want to defeat us so badly? Wouldn't that be simpler than gloating in my face?"

Garmadon's eyes narrowed and he leaned closer, so all Kai could see were his glowing red irises. "Let's just say it would be easier to destroy all four of you in the same place rather than one at a time." He smirked. "And besides, you remind me a lot of myself. Ambitious, hotheaded..."

"Where are you going with this?" Kai asked, leaning away and turning his head to the side. It was to no avail as Garmadon grabbed his chin and forced him to face him.

"Perhaps I've developed a bit of a soft side for you," he said, his grin growing wider. Those words were met with disgust in Kai's eyes, and the brunet squirmed beneath his grip, fighting for a way to escape.

"Let me go!" Kai kicked Garmadon in the stomach, sending him skidding backwards a few feet, and making an attempt to run from him. He didn't get too far, slipping again into the muddy terrain. He instinctively reached for one of Garmadon's hands, who pulled him up and against his body.

Even as Kai struggled against his hold, Garmadon ran one hand through his spiky brown hair affectionately. "You better hope you don't cross my path again, Kai. I won't go easy on you again if you do."

Kai nearly scoffed at that, but was beginning to relax in his hold, finding the hand running through his hair to be somewhat comforting. The villain suddenly shoved him away, causing him to stumble and nearly fall down again, had he not recovered his balance in time. He frowned at Garmadon, raising an eyebrow. "So... You're not gonna kill me?"

"Now why would I do that?" he asked in a mocking tone. "Run along to your little ninja friends, and we can pretend this never happened."

He winked at him, Kai feeling disgust run through him again, before he turned and walked away, the fog in the distance swallowing him up. Kai watched after him for a while longer before shaking his head and making his way back to the Bounty.

Everyone had already returned when he got back, no one having found anything. Jay was already joking about how Kai's hair looked more messed up than usual, but the red ninja didn't respond.

_Like he said, pretend it never happened,_ he thought with a shudder. _Garmadon has no idea how eager I am to do that..._

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><p><strong>Good ol' hero x villain ships. They're hard to write for, but they're worth it.<strong>

**Thanks to those who requested this pairing! Stay tuned!**


	22. My Valentine (Kai x Jay, Cole x Nya)

**Requested by: Howling Wolf Pup and lovestarr (for Kai/Jay), and Guest and DeliciouslyDangerous1 (for Cole/Nya)**

**Requests: Kai/Jay, Cole/Nya**

**Warnings: Yaoi, implied sexual content**

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><p>Valentine's Day. For the past three years Jay always looked forward to it, since it was the one day of the year he and Nya could take a break from fighting evil and just relax, go on a date, and just be like any normal couple would be. He always told her how beautiful she was, how he never wanted to leave her side, and she always told him how much she loved him and that she would always be there for him.<p>

Times had changed, however. Even though Zane turned out to be alive, Jay was unhappy this time around. Nya had chosen to be with Cole, and broke up with Jay. It felt strange for Jay. On the day they broke up, Jay didn't want to have anything to do with anyone. He isolated himself, either by staying in his apartment room or by taking long walks around the city to sort out his thoughts. He wasn't sure if he would ever get over his feelings for her, and even tried to talk to other girls, but to no avail. Not a day went by when he wasn't thinking about Nya and all the wonderful times they had together.

Jay soon found love in someone else, and though it was unbelievable for the others, it made some sense. He admitted his love for Kai almost a week before Valentine's Day, and they had been dating since then. Considering it was Nya's brother he was dating, Jay felt a bit awkward when he and Kai had intimate moments, but got over it quickly. He found that he felt much better being with Kai than anyone else.

Today was different, however. Though he was with Kai now, his thoughts were still occupied by Nya and Cole, and how he still felt upset about how they were going out for Valentine's Day while he and Kai were in his apartment room, doing nothing of the sort.

"What're you thinking about?" Kai asked. The couple were lounging on the couch, Kai's arms wrapped around Jay's form, watching a Fritz Donegan movie at Jay's request. "It's like you're not even watching the movie."

Jay shrugged, looking up at his boyfriend's face. "Just...stuff."

"Nya and Cole?"

"Er... Maybe?"

Kai smiled, kissing the top of Jay's head, nuzzling his face in the ginger locks. "At least you're honest. It's okay if you're still thinking about the whole situation, Jay. I know it's troubling for you. Take all the time you need."

Jay sighed, shaking his head. "No, no it's not. I'm with you now. I need to stop thinking about them, but I just can't!"

His outburst surprised Kai, but the brunet simply hugged Jay closer. "It'll take time, Jay. Just focus on calming down, okay?" He rubbed his hands up and down Jay's sides to soothe him, all while keeping his face close to Jay's cheek.

Jay shut his eyes, sighing contentedly at the feeling. He reached over to the coffee table for the remote to turn the movie off, needing the room to be quiet to get calm. He rolled over on his side so he was facing Kai, and planted a kiss near the edge of Kai's eye, his lips just barely brushing over his scar.

"Thanks, Sparkplug," murmured Jay, loving how Kai smiled at the use of the nickname. "I think I'm already starting to get over it."

The brunet looked down at him, pulling away slightly and raising an eyebrow. "Really? But you were just saying..." He smirked, shaking his head. "Did you use your thoughts about Nya and Cole as an excuse to cuddle?"

"Maybe..." He brought Kai back down, wrapping his arms around his neck. "It's just that they were doing something for Valentine's Day, and we're here watching movies and nothing else. Don't you think it seems kinda boring?"

"Well, no one ever said we had to do anything elaborate. I thought you wanted to stay home and watch movies. You were all like, 'Oh, come on, Kai! All the couples are gonna be filling the streets and we won't get to go anywhere!' And now you're telling me you don't like this?"

Jay gave him a devious grin. "You're _really_ not following where I'm going with his, are you? Must be a side effect of being so hotheaded all the time."

Before Kai could protest, Jay pulled him down to press their lips together, squeezing his eyes shut. Jay moved his lips against the brunet's, twisting until they locked. Kai stared with half-lidded eyes at Jay's blissful expression, which instantly got him to move his lips, as well. His tongue slipped past Jay's soft lips, battling with the redhead's own tongue for dominance. Kai eventually won when he started to move his hands across Jay's sides again, this time letting them travel across his chest and abs, as well.

Jay couldn't help but moan as Kai's tongue explored his mouth, his bright blush covering up his freckles. He opened his eyes just slightly, and upon meeting Kai's gaze his face became an even brighter red, and the room seemed to spin. The warmth in Kai's eyes was almost too much to bear.

It wasn't long before they parted, Kai's hands still resting on Jay's chest, the redhead's mouth hanging open as he fought for breath. He loosened his grip on Kai's shirt, letting a smile to grace his lips.

"What are you thinking about now?" asked Kai, lifting a hand up to stroke Jay's still-blushing cheek. "Still Nya and Cole?"

"No," he panted. "Not anymore." He lowered his hands down to the bottom of Kai's shirt, gripping it tightly. "Now it's just you."

At first Kai didn't understand, but one suggestive wiggle from Jay's scarred eyebrow gave him the only hint he needed. "Now?"

"No one will be back for a while yet," he assured. "Besides, it's not like they'll hear anything, either." He gave Kai the best puppy dog face he could muster at that point. "Please?"

Kai hesitated, still feeling reluctant as he wasn't sure when Cole and Nya would be back. He soon gave in, smiling at Jay. "Okay. But this is your Valentine's Day present, okay?" he said, helping Jay pull the shirt off and throwing it to the side.

~o~o~o~o~

Cole and Nya walked down the hallway, holding hands and gazing into each other's eyes lovingly. Cole had taken Nya to see a play at the theatre, and then to a fancy restaurant for dinner. She enjoyed every last moment of it, not once thinking about her previous relationship with Jay. She knew she needed to move on, and Cole was there to help her do that.

"I had a great time today," she said, rubbing her thumb against Cole's hand. "I hope we'll get another chance to do something like this again."

"I'm sure we will," Cole said. "And if this peace ends before that happens, hey, we could always have a date in the middle of a battle. How does dinner and a show of evil knuckleheads sound?"

She chuckled, elbowing him gently. She let her gaze travel to the door leading to Jay's room, and she sighed. "I wonder how Jay's Valentine's Day went. I know he and Kai are dating now, but they didn't leave to go anywhere even before we left, so..."

"We could always check on them," Cole suggested. "Just pop in, ask how their night went, stuff like that."

"Do you really think that's a good idea? What with how Jay thinks about you at the moment?"

Cole led Nya to the door, shrugging. "It's worth a shot. Besides, even if he does try to attack me, I can take a hit, especially from him."

He reached for the doorknob, and was about to open the door when his ears picked up the faint sound of banging noises. He raised a bushy eyebrow, but then heard another noise that made him pull away and continue down the hall.

Nya looked at him with concern. "What is it?"

"Oh, nothing," Cole replied, hurrying to the door of his own apartment room. "Just a little Valentine's Day tradition for couples everywhere." Nya looked confused for a moment upon hearing this, but her brown eyes widened.

"Oh."

"Yeah."

She paused before speaking again. "Well, at least we know their relationship is going well."

"Yeah, not the best way to figure it out though." He opened the door, letting Nya walk in first before following, shutting the door behind him. "So, what do you want to do now? You know, other than think about what Kai and Jay were doing just now."

She shrugged, smiling up at him. "It doesn't matter. It's Valentine's Day, I'm with you, and as far as I'm concerned, that's all I care about right now."

Cole smiled back, lifting her up so he could press his lips against hers in a tender kiss. It was nothing too intimate, just the gentle movement of Cole's lips against Nya's, neither intending to take it further than that. He never wanted to separate from her, but did so anyway to murmur, "Hey, Nya?"

"Yes, Cole?"

"I... I love you. A lot."

Her smile only grew wider upon hearing that, and she went in to kiss him again. "I love you, too, Cole. No matter what, I'll always love you."

* * *

><p><strong>And so, Cole and Nya had fluffy adorableness while Kai and Jay had sex. The end. I decided to combine the requests for KaiJay with Cole/Nya because I felt it made sense.**

**Hey, even though I edged _very _close into lemon territory with this one, I do not take M-rated requests. I would love to write a lemon one day (I have an idea for a Zane/Kai one), but I just don't feel ready for something like that yet. Sorry :(**

**On the bright side, I've got some pretty good ideas for future oneshots (at least, I think they're good ideas XD)**

**Thank you to Howling Wolf Pup and lovestarr for requesting Kai/Jay, and to Guest and DeliciouslyDangerous1 for requesting Cole/Nya! Stay tuned!**


	23. Out Of Commission (Zane x PIXAL)

**Requested by: NinjaMelissa, lovestarr, Guest**

**Request: Zane/PIXAL**

**Warnings: Spoilers, character death**

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><p>Zane stood at the end of the conveyor belt, his arms spread in a welcoming gesture. PIXAL merely stood staring around her in shock, until her green eyes finally rested on him, a smile slowly making its way on her face. There he was, in all his glory, her white ninja. His appearance had changed greatly. His blond hair now completely silver, he had no synthetic skin to cover the rest of his metallic body, and was now adorned in a silver gi and armour. His eyes remained a cold yet comforting icy blue, but had no hint of light grey like they used to.<p>

His appearance may have changed, but she knew deep down that he was still Zane. He survived, and that was all that mattered to her.

"Are we...compatible now?" Zane asked, still finding his own voice unfamiliar to him. It sounded much more computerized than before, and he hoped PIXAL didn't mind it. She didn't move towards him, her lips moving as though to speak, but she made no sound.

"Zane..." she murmured. She raced down the rest of the conveyor belt, slamming into him and wrapping her arms around his neck. Unlike Zane, who could cry, no tears streamed down her face, but he could hear PIXAL sobbing into his shoulder. "Is it really you?"

"Yes, PIXAL," he replied, running his fingers through her synthetic hair. "I'm alive. I know I look different, but..."

"I don't care. You're still you, and we're still compatible." She hugged him tighter. "We will always be compatible, Zane."

"I'm...glad to hear it." They stood in silence, simply enjoying each other's company after having been separated for so long. While Zane was trapped in the systems and rebuilding himself, he never stopped thinking and worrying about PIXAL, and how she was faring with his "death". Now that he was back, those thoughts disappeared, and he resolved that he would never put her through such a thing ever again.

Neither of them noticed a girl at the opposite end of the conveyor belt. "Um, excuse me?"

Zane and PIXAL turned to look at her. She appeared to be in her late teens, like the rest of the Ninja. She had bright red hair tied up in a ponytail, contrasting with her tan skin and primarily orange clothing. The pair stayed silent as she made her way towards them.

"Who are you?" PIXAL asked. "How did you get in here?"

"I just walked in, that's all. I'm looking for Mr. Borg. I couldn't find him anywhere else, so I figured he would be in here." She stretched her hand out in a polite greeting. "My name's Skylor, by the way."

Zane, feeling a bit suspicious of her, hesitantly accepted the greeting, shaking her hand. "I'm Zane. And this is PIXAL." For a split second, he thought he saw a flash of orange light between their hands, but he brushed the thought away.

"Zane, the White Ninja of Ice, correct?" she asked. When he nodded, her polite smile faded, turning into a look of sympathy. Her voice was barely a whisper when she said, "Listen, I'm really sorry about this, but..."

She shoved Zane backwards, causing him to stumble into PIXAL behind him. "Now!" Skylor called out, leaping out of the way as several men swarmed them from every side. Each one wore what looked like a skull, and their bodies were completely covered in snake tattoos.

"What is this?" Zane asked as their enemies drew closer. "How did you all get in here?!"

"Everyone is at your funeral," PIXAL explained. "The tower was left vulnerable. It would be easy for anyone to sneak in without anyone being alerted." She stood back-to-back with Zane. "But I do not think these intruders will leave unless we resort to violence." She gave him a worried glance. "Can you still fight?"

He pointed to a glowing part on his back, and she recognized it as his power source, only this time it was whole again. "Don't worry about me, PIXAL." With that, he swung his fist into the nearest enemy, kicking him in the stomach to knock him back.

"And I may not be built for combat, but that does not mean I cannot fight for myself!" She grabbed another enemy into a headlock, kneeing him in the chest before shoving him to the ground. "We have to get to the others, Zane! We must fight our way out!"

"I had the same idea!" Mirroring each other's movements and attacks, Zane and PIXAL knocked the intruders left and right and, when it seemed like the girl called Skylor would block their path, sped past and to the automatic doors.

When the doors opened, however, they were met with a man dressed in red, his thick black hair tied back in a low ponytail. Even when faced with the two androids, the corners of his mouth were curved upward into a detestable grin.

"And just who are you?" Zane hissed, a ball of ice forming in his hand as he prepared to attack. "I suggest you get out of our way, or I will have to use force."

The man merely chuckled. "Master Chen will be pleased to finally meet you, Master of Ice. I would be happy to escort you to him...but I'm afraid you will be unable to return here for quite some time."

"What do you...who's Chen? What are you talking about?" The entire situation was far too confusing for Zane; he felt his processor would go into overdrive if he didn't get an answer for his questions soon.

"Always wanting to know more... There are just too many questions you don't have answers for, aren't there?"

"Yes, now either move out of my way, or answer me: what are you doing here?"

The man shook his head, and Zane's eyes widened as he saw an odd purple glow in his hand. "You'll find out in time. But keep this in mind..." He shot a blast of purple smoke at Zane, sending the nindroid flying down the conveyor belt. "... Only one can remain."

Several of the intruders held PIXAL back as the man walked threateningly towards Zane, who was struggling to his feet. She stared in horror as he pulled out a strange device sparking with electricity at one end, pressing it to the centre of Zane's power source. She tried to block out the sound of Zane's pained scream, to block out the sight of him convulsing as he was electrocuted.

"Zane..." she whispered as his eyes slowly dimmed and shut, falling to the ground. The man turned back around to walk to PIXAL, who started to struggle ferociously against the hold of the enemies.

"So... Where are the others? The other Ninja?" he asked, the smirk on his face unfaltering.

"They are down below, at the statue," PIXAL hissed through her teeth. "When they find out what you have done here, I cannot guarantee your safety."

He nodded. "I heard they were grieving. It will be simple to bring them, then." Before PIXAL could ask what he meant, he shouldered past them, waving a hand dismissively. "She's fulfilled her purpose. Bring the nindroid...and take her apart. We'll still bring her, of course, but Master Chen would rather she was...out of commission."

She gasped, watching them carry Zane past her and out the door. She tried to reach out to him, but was held back. Skylor gave PIXAL an apologetic look before leaving as well.

One enemy gave PIXAL's left arm a forceful tug, and she felt it shift out of the socket, tearing a few of the wires. Another ripped off her chest panel, exposing the mechanisms beneath, including her half of Zane's power source. When she tried to call out to Zane again, she felt something pierce her throat. She looked down, barely seeing the tip of a green blade.

_Oh, Zane..._ She watched helplessly as they left, the black-haired man smirking at her again. The last thing she felt before one enemy reached to take out her power source was her left arm being torn out. _I'm sor-_

* * *

><p><strong>Yep. Killed mid sentence by a Jadeblade. <strong>

**This is basically just my idea of how everything went down before the beginning of season 4. Speaking of which, it starts in officially in North America soon :D**

**Thank you to NinjaMelissa, lovestarr, and Guest for requesting this pairing! I hope I didn't break your hearts! Stay tuned!**


	24. Not Alone (Zane x Jay)

**Requested by: ifangirltoomuch**

**Request: Zane/Jay**

**Warnings: Implied yaoi**

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><p>Jay followed Zane's falcon through the snowy landscape of Birchwood Forest, his entire body tensed against the cold winds. It was barely six thirty in the morning when the falcon flew into his bedroom in a frenzy, squawking and making such a commotion Jay had to wonder why no one else had woken up. While he wondered what it wanted, he also noticed that Zane was gone from his bunk, which was enough to convince Jay to get up. Coincidentally, the falcon wanted Jay to find Zane, likely because it was worried about him.<p>

_I understand Zane can have emotions, being styled after humans and all,_ Jay thought as he pulled his boots and coat over his pyjamas. _But how does the falcon have emotions like that? Was it originally programmed to protect Zane or something?_

He looked over at the door to Nya's room, feeling his heart sink. She had recently told him that perhaps they wouldn't work out as a couple, and would be better as friends. He tried not to let it bother him, but she still stayed on his mind for a long time after they broke up. Shaking his head, he left their apartment room, closing the door as quietly as possible behind him.

As Jay ran, he could swear he heard the falcon's squawks sounded less like an average bird, having much more emotion behind them. If anything, the falcon almost sounded as if it was upset. This only made Jay run faster, until they eventually reached Birchwood Forest.

His gaze darted back and forth among the trees, wondering what it was the falcon wanted to show him. He had no idea where he was going at this point, but he didn't care; he just wanted to find Zane.

He soon came upon a tree with an odd symbol engraved on it, knowing it to be the door handle to what was once Zane's home. He finally remembered what had happened that would make the falcon bring him here, and he walked around the base of the tree to find Zane sitting cross-legged on the ground. The blond was staring blankly at a curved stone a few feet in front of him.

The falcon fluttered in midair before landing on a branch above him. Jay sighed and went to sit down beside Zane, draping an arm across his shoulders. "Zane," he said after a moment of silence. "You okay, buddy?"

The nindroid turned his head to face him, his silvery-blue eyes still emotionless. "Yes. The loss of my father has affected me greatly, but I will cope."

Jay looked up at the sky. The sun hadn't risen yet, but the clouds were beginning to turn pinkish-orange at the edges. "Then...why are you up so early?"

"I wanted to visit his grave alone," he stated simply. "But now that you and the falcon are here..."

"O-oh, sorry," Jay stammered, starting to get up. "The falcon brought me here, so I thought you needed me, but if you don't, I can-"

Zane took Jay's hand in his, gently pulling him back down. "It's fine. I was about to say that it feels better to have company, anyway."

The redhead raised an eyebrow, but he gave a small smile and say back down again. As they sat in silence, Jay rested his head on Zane's shoulder, hoping the closeness would help Zane feel better, or at least not feel as upset. To his relief, Zane wrapped an arm around Jay's waist and pulled him closer.

"I never thought he would have to leave me again," Zane murmured. "I thought that after he was brought back from death, we could finally have the normal family life he always told me he wanted. But my father never told me that he was still nearing the end of his life..."

Jay looked up to see Zane's lips forming a tight line, eyes staring straight ahead. "Zane... I know it's hard for me to relate, and that you're going through a really hard time right now... But you don't have to be alone when you're feeling upset, okay?"

"I know," he replied. "I would just rather not bring the rest of you into this. With everything that has happened so far, the people of Ninjago not needing ninja anymore, I thought that bringing all of you into my problems would only frustrate you."

"Aw, Zane, don't think like that! I mean, yeah, it's hard not being ninja, and we don't have our elemental weapons anymore, but we're still a team! That's not gonna change anytime soon!" He brought his other arm around to give Zane a tight hug. "We'll always be here for you."

The corners of Zane's mouth finally curved up into a smile, and he returned the hug. "Thank you, Jay. I will always be here for you, as well." He felt Jay relax in his hold, and he, too, felt an odd sense of peace envelop them.

"Hey, Zane, look!" Jay pointed up at an opening between the trees. An orange-yellow glow peeked out from behind the clouds hanging on the horizon. The orange light bled onto the white snow, causing each individual snowflake to sparkle almost blindingly. Zane looked down at Jay, whose hair appeared as though it was on fire in the morning sunlight.

"The sun's rising." Jay's eyes closed as he leaned into Zane's side. "It's morning. Everyone else'll be awake soon."

"Then we should go back now." Zane helped Jay up as he stood, giving him another hug before they turned away from the gravestone and headed back to Ninjago City. _Jay is right,_ Zane thought. _I am not alone. I have my brothers with me. I...have Jay with me._ He gave one last look at his father's grave. _Jay will always be with me...just like my father._

* * *

><p><strong>Not overly obvious, but the yaoi's there. It was hard to come up with an idea for this one to be honest.<strong>

**Thank you to ifangirltoomuch for requesting this pairing! Stay tuned!**


	25. Different, But Unchanged (Zane x Lloyd)

**Requested by: Guest**

**Request: Zane/Lloyd**

**Warnings: Yaoi**

* * *

><p>It had been a few days after the incident with the Tomorrow's Tea, and Lloyd was still struggling to get used to his new body. He was lucky the other Ninja were willing to help him get used to the changes, and didn't laugh at him when his longer limbs caused him trouble during training. At least, they didn't laugh much.<p>

Despite this, it was odd to deal with knowing he was different than before, and he imagined it was hard for the other Ninja to deal with, as well. One minute he was a kid with time to spare before the final battle, who loved comics and cartoons above anything else, and now he was a teenager with what could be as short as a month before the final battle, who was far more focused on training and preparing for the battle than before. The transition from those feelings made Lloyd feel a bit disoriented, and it was difficult to get used to.

Along with this, he felt his emotions toward certain people changed. What was once admiration became something like romantic affection, and he was afraid that if the person he loved found out, things would only become awkward between them.

_I have to find someone to talk to about this,_ he thought. _Someone who understands how it feels to know you're different than before. But the only person I can talk to about this is..._ He sighed. _Well, I guess I don't have much of a choice. I'll just make myself seem inconspicuous. He won't suspect a thing._

That afternoon, he went to find Zane, believing he was in the shared bedroom. Peering in, he saw that Zane was the only one in there. _Perfect timing,_ he thought, and went up to stand beside Zane.

"Hello, Lloyd," the nindroid greeted, patting a spot beside him on his bed. "What is it that you need? Did you want to continue training? I am not sure where the others are, but I'm sure they would love to join."

Lloyd sat down. "No. I just wanted to talk to you about something, actually." He took a deep breath, trying to focus on slowing down his rapid heartbeat before speaking. "I don't know how to deal with being so different now. I mean, I know the final battle is closer than ever now, but everything else is just...weird, I don't know."

Zane put a hand on Lloyd's shoulder, which only made Lloyd's heart thud quickly in his chest again. "It is difficult to deal with knowing you are more different than you believed. I felt the same way when I found out I was a nindroid."

"How long did it take for you to cope with it? Knowing that you were a nindroid, I mean."

Zane shrugged. "It took me a while, but the others were always there to make my predicament feel less unusual." He looked at Lloyd sympathetically. "We would do the same for you, too. You know that."

Lloyd nodded, looking away briefly. "I know, but... How about relationships and things like that? Did anything, you know...change? Did you feel any different about anyone?"

Zane raised an eyebrow. "Not that I can remember, no. Why? If you're referring to Nya, it would not be wise to bring that up around Jay. I'm not too familiar with human emotions, but I do not believe he would take it well if he found out you were romantically interested in Nya."

Lloyd shook his head. "No, actually, I..." As Zane looked at him expectantly, he felt even more reluctant to admit who he was in love with. He bit his lip and took another deep breath. "... I'm more interested in one of you guys."

"Oh. I see..." Zane fell quiet, and Lloyd felt so embarrassed, he wished the floor would open up and swallow him whole. He knew coming to talk to Zane was a mistake, especially since it was Zane he was in love with. "Well...do you want to say who it is you are interested in?" Zane finally asked.

"Um...yeah. He's focused, strong, a quick thinker..." He didn't want to say it outright; he hoped Zane would figure it out on his own.

The nindroid smiled. "So it is Cole you are in love with? I believe you two would make a nice couple. I hope you-"

"No, Zane!" Lloyd groaned, giving up on keeping his thoughts a secret. "I mean you! I... I like you." He stood up, bringing his hands up to grab fistfuls of his own hair. "I know it's weird to like you, any of you, and that I only feel this way because I'm not a kid anymore, but..." He slouched. "Look, it's fine if you reject me. I know it's probably weird to date someone who's basically just a kid in an older body, but-"

He stopped talking when he felt a pair of arms wrap gently around his body. He felt Zane's cheek rest against the top of his head, the white ninja pulling him close. Lloyd sighed, closing his eyes and relaxing into Zane's hold. The faint whirring of the nindroid's power source would have lulled him to sleep, had Zane not pulled away to smile warmly at Lloyd.

"I do not mind at all that you are in love with me, Lloyd," Zane said, ruffling his hair. "We have a lot in common, and I believe that if we are a couple, I can help you cope with knowing that you are different."

Lloyd smirked, wrapping his arms around Zane's waist and pressing his face into his chest. "Thanks for understanding, Zane. But can we keep it a secret from the guys for now? I'm not ready for them to find out about us yet."

"Of course, Lloyd," he replied. "I won't tell them that we are dating. I wouldn't want to make you feel uncomfortable."

Lloyd nodded gratefully, his smile still present. He then frowned and looked up at Zane. "What do couples do, anyway? I mean, it's not like we can just ask Jay or Nya what they do, and as far as I know, Cole and Kai aren't in a relationship with anyone."

"We will figure out what couples do eventually. In the meantime, we could train together. You always seem to enjoy doing that."

Lloyd tapped his chin. "It's simple, no one will suspect we're dating... I like it!" He ran to the door. "Last one out on the training deck cleans up after the Ultra Dragon!"

Zane laughed and ran after Lloyd, happy that he was no longer worried about being different. In fact, as far as Zane was concerned, Lloyd didn't seem to change much at all. _He may be attempting to act more mature, and he may be a teenager physically now,_ he thought. _But he is still the same on the inside._

* * *

><p><strong>Well, the first episode of season 4 has officially aired in North America at last! I'm still not taking requests involving the new characters, but there is one pairing I'm making an exception for. It will, however, be in the last one shot for this series, mostly because I just think it'll be more fun that way, and I want to make a series that combines the plotlines we'll see in both season 4 and 5 :D<strong>

**Thanks to Guest for requesting this pairing! Stay tuned!**


	26. Unlikely Romance (Lou x Misako)

**Requested by: Guest, DeliciouslyDangerous1**

**Request: Lou/Misako**

**Warnings: None**

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><p>Lou looked up from the crumpled sheet of paper in his hands. The words "Ninjago City High School" were printed in bold lettering on the faded brick walls. He gulped, terrified that he would be a freshman in a sea of sophomores, juniors, seniors, returning students, and countless others.<p>

_Get it together, Lou,_ he told himself quietly. _It's the first day of school, and there'll be plenty of other freshman here. Everyone's bound to be nervous!_ He took a deep breath, running a hand through his neatly-combed black hair, and walked quickly up the steps, swinging open one of the large doors and stepping inside.

It was pure chaos. Students walked quickly this way and that, shouting over the heads of others, crowding the hallways, shoving past each other to get to their first class. Even worse, they seemed to tower over Lou, and he felt as though he would collapse under the weight of their stares as he shuffled awkwardly around them to find the nearest wall.

He looked down at the class schedule in his hand. He was supposed to be looking for Room 176 B, but he knew he wasn't anywhere near there. He looked up and tried to get the attention of one of the students, but to no avail.

"Hey, um, can I ask you a question-"

"Look, I just need some directions to-"

"Can you show me where-"

He eventually gave up when it didn't seem like anyone would help him out. He looked up at a clock on the far side of the wide hallway he was standing in, which read 8:50. _I only have ten minutes until class starts?_ He looked around frantically, panicking when he saw the hallways extending into other corridors here and there. _But this school is huge! How am I going to find my way to class in time?_

"Excuse me!" a voice called. Lou looked away from the clock to see a boy and a girl, both probably sophomores, running up to him, a concerned look on both of their faces. From the way they held hands, he guessed they were dating.

"We heard you were having trouble with directions," the redheaded boy said, his voice carrying an unrecognizable accent to it. "Me and Edna here were wondering if we could help you out!"

"You're a freshman, aren't you?" the brunette, Edna, asked. She carried an almost identical accent to his. "You should be a bit more careful with everyone bustling about to get to their homeroom! You could get trampled, and nothing good would come of that!" She turned to her boyfriend. "Ed, tell him he's gotta watch where he's going!"

Lou raised an eyebrow at the odd young couple before him, then shook his head. They seemed like they knew what they were doing, so it wouldn't hurt to ask for help. "Well, I need to get to Room 176 B, and I keep looking around at all these doors, and I'm not really getting any hints..."

Edna reached out a hand and dragged Lou after them as they navigated around the students and down the hall. "Then let's get going before things get really crazy!"

The other hallways weren't much better when it came to how crowded they were. All around Lou could see kids getting jostled this way and that, books getting accidentally knocked out of the hands of unsuspecting fellow freshmen, no one bothering to help the flustered students. The halls reeked of sweat and body odour, as though no one here had heard of deodorant, or soap, or personal hygiene in general. The glares he earned from older students didn't help much, either, and he felt as though they would leap at him at any given moment.

Ed and Edna, he couldn't believe those were actually their names, didn't seem to mind. They simply wove their way through the crowds as though they'd done it a million times before, all while glancing at each other lovingly from time to time.

At last the crowds thinned out, and Lou found himself standing outside a faded green door, a tiny window just above his head. Edna let go of his hand and gestured toward the door.

"Room 176 B, just like you asked!" she said, smiling proudly. "I remember when Ed and I first had class together in this room. Right, Ed?"

"I sure do," he replied. "Science, second period, second semester." He grinned at Lou. "It's where Edna and I first met."

Edna sighed happily, gazing into the distance fondly at the memory. "We were assigned as lab partners on the first day of school. It sure was something to remember." She laughed. "And it's thanks to Misako that we started dating, what with her helping you ask me out, Ed!"

Lou raised a bushy eyebrow. "Who's Misako?"

"I think they mean me." He turned around at the sound of the voice, and his heart nearly stopped at who he saw. She was probably the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen, her long brown hair tied back into a braid draping over her shoulder, framing her face perfectly, a pair of thin-rimmed glasses perched on the bridge of her nose, her green eyes warm but also displaying maturity. Everything about her was beautiful, he decided.

She stared at him in curiosity, then turned her gaze to Ed and Edna, smiling. "It's nice to see you both again," she said. Lou sighed. Even the sound of her voice was beautiful.

"It's good to see you too, Misako!" Edna greeted. "But I thought you graduated! You were a senior last year, weren't you?" She gasped. "Were you unable to graduate 'cause you failed a class?"

She laughed, which to Lou sounded more like a song than a laugh. "No, I'm just taking an extra year. I plan on being an archaeologist, so I need to take a few more classes." She looked back at Lou. "Who's this?"

"Oh boy," muttered Ed. "Oh gosh, oh golly, oh darn. We forgot to ask what his name was, Edna!"

Edna gasped. "Oh, that's right!" She grinned sheepishly at Lou. "We're sorry about that! What's your name?"

Lou gave a short laugh, shrugging and hoping he didn't look too awkward in front of Misako. "My name's Lou."

Misako smiled. "Well, then it's nice to meet you, Lou," she said, her green eyes shining again. "I'm Misako. I hope we'll see each other again soon." Before she headed off to her class, she turned to call over her shoulder, "If you need any help getting around the school, just ask!"

Lou watched her leave, knowing how pink his cheeks were turning. Ed and Edna noticed this, turning to smile at each other.

"She'll probably be helping out the other classes this year, what with being a returning student and everything," said Edna. "You'll probably get a chance to see her again, if that's what you're worried about."

"Oh, right," Lou stammered, snapping out of his lovestruck daze. "Thanks for showing me the way to class. Where are you guys heading?"

"Construction Tech," Edna said with a smile. "But it's on the other side of the school, so we have to hurry!" She waved to Lou as she rushed off, dragging Ed along with her.

"You should do the same, Lou!" called Ed. "The teachers here are pretty strict about punctuality!"

Lou was too distracted by his thoughts about Misako to pay attention to what they were saying, still blushing profusely. He knew it to be hopeless, however. I_'m just a freshman, and she's a returning student,_ he thought. _It wouldn't work out._

He looked at the green door, then back down the hallway. _But that doesn't mean I can't go to her when I need her._ He sighed, smiling. _Even if we can't fall in love, we can still be friends. And I'll be as good a friend as I can be._

The bell rang at that moment, and Lou jumped, swinging the green door open and dashing into the classroom. He shrank under the glare of the teacher, who immediately demanded why he was late.

* * *

><p><strong>Ah, high school romance. It sucks for some people. But, as in Ed and Edna's case, not for everyone! At least Lou can deal with being Misako's bestie, right?<strong>

**Thanks to Guest and DeliciouslyDangerous1 for requesting this pairing! Stay tuned!**


	27. More Than Friends (Cole x Jay)

**Requested by: Guest, Savanah, GUEST (Cole/Jay), DivingHydra (Kai and Nya sibling stuff)**

**Request(s): Cole/Jay, Kai and Nya sibling bonding**

**Warnings: Yaoi**

* * *

><p>Nya never expected them to actually get along. Even though the love triangle issue was over, she didn't expect them to put aside their differences so quickly, and go back to acting as though nothing was wrong in the first place. Not that she was complaining, of course. It was nice to go back to when Cole and Jay were actually friends.<p>

They were spending time together at the theatre that day, having just seen a movie Jay was looking forward to seeing. Nya expected Cole to argue with him the second the idea was brought up, but to her surprise, he was in full support of Jay's suggestion.

Now they were walking home, and Cole and Jay were wrapped up in a conversation about the movie, paying close to no attention that Nya was walking behind them.

"And that part where the guy nearly had his head ripped off by that zombie?" Jay laughed, a wide grin plastered across his face. "It was so cheesy, but it was probably the best part of the whole movie!"

"I know! And the special effects sucked, there were explosions every five minutes!" replied Cole with a snort. "But I guess that's what you'd expect from a movie called 'Invasion of the Robot Zombies'. Why did you wanna see it, anyway?"

"I wanted to see it _because_ it sucked," he replied. "That's the whole reason I see those kinds of movies in the first place. They're so terrible, they're awesome! Ask anyone!"

Cole laughed, elbowing his arm playfully. "If it makes sense to you, Zaptrap, then I won't argue."

"I thought you weren't gonna call me that anymore," the redhead whined.

"I still think it suits you."

Nya smirked at their friendly banter, feeling better knowing they were getting along much better than they were before. At this point, however, she decided to try and join in the conversation.

"Yeah, it was a pretty crappy movie," she spoke up. Neither of them seemed to notice her speaking, still caught up in their own conversation. Nya frowned and cleared her throat. "Guys?" Still no response. "Hey!"

Cole and Jay immediately stopped talking, and turned around to look at Nya with the same bewildered expressions. The corner of Nya's mouth curved upward, and she felt greatly amused by their near-identical reactions.

"Oh, hey Nya," Jay said, smiling sheepishly. "Sorry about that, it's just really exciting to talk about this movie and all..."

Cole shook his head. "Jay, I don't think that's really helping here. Sorry again, Nya."

Nya shrugged. "Whatever. I'm just happy you guys are finally getting along again." The two ninja exchanged a proud glance upon hearing that. As long as Nya wasn't struggling with her feelings between the two of them anymore, they were just fine with what she had to say about them.

It wasn't long before they reached the apartment complex, cars lazily driving past as the sky darkened into night. Once they opened the doors and headed up the stairs, Nya spoke up. "So, what're you two going to do now? Just go back to your apartment rooms?"

"Probably," Jay answered. "Why? Where are you heading off to?"

"I just want to talk to Kai about something," she said. "Nothing too big, just...personal stuff."

Cole nodded, taking Jay up the next flight of stairs with him. "We'll leave you to it then. Goodnight, Nya!" he called.

"Goodnight!" she echoed, opening the door leading to the second floor's hallway. She walked down the rows of plain white doors until she reached the one with "205" printed along the top. She knocked, hearing a muffled "It's open" before turning the handle and going inside.

Kai was sprawled out on the couch, the television remote in his hand, mindlessly pressing the buttons, moving from one channel to the next. Nya smirked at him before sitting down on the floor. He turned his head to briefly return the smile before going back to his aimless channel surfing.

"So, I went to the movies with Cole and Jay today," she finally said.

"And how did that go?" he asked. "Not fighting over you again, are they?"

"No, they called some kind of truce after that happened, it's all good." She hesitated a bit before continuing, unsure of how to word what she wanted to say next. "And I don't know if it's just me, but...they seem a bit different now."

Kai raised an eyebrow, sitting up straight. "How so?"

"I don't know, they just..." She looked away, searching for the right word to describe it. "... I guess they just seemed closer than they'd ever been today. Kind of like it was more than friendship. I don't have a problem with it, it's just that after they've been fighting for so long, this just seems...strange."

Kai patted a spot on the couch beside him as an invitation for her to sit down. When she accepted, he said, "Well, it would all be thanks to you, wouldn't it?" he asked. "You convinced them that what they were doing was stupid and immature. I think now they're trying to make amends or something." He frowned. "But it being closer than friendship... I mean, we've always been a pretty close group, so it might not be what you think."

She smiled. "You're right. And even if something did come of it, it'd be fine by me. They're pretty much perfect for each other. Jay's funny and cute, Cole's strong and would keep Jay out of trouble. They'd balance each other out."

"You got that right." He handed the remote to Nya. "Anything you feel like watching tonight?"

"I could go for a movie," she said, flipping through the channels just as he did. "I'd like to get that awful movie we saw out of my head. Not because it was scary, it was just terrible."

~o~o~o~o~

Cole poked his head out the door, looking left and right before ducking back inside the apartment room, shutting the door quietly behind him. He went to sit beside Jay on the couch, throwing an arm around the redhead's shoulders.

"Nya's gone?" Jay asked, leaning into Cole's side and resting his head on his broad shoulder. "She's not hanging around in the hallway somewhere?"

"Nope," he said, leaning in to kiss Jay's forehead. "We're good. I don't think she suspects a thing."

Jay looked up, blue eyes sparkling with worry. "But she did notice the way we were acting with each other earlier, didn't she? She probably thinks something's up, right?" He gulped. "What if she thinks really badly of us? What if she starts to think she's not good enough for either of us because we chose each other? What if-"

Cole shut him up with another kiss, directly on the lips this time. Jay's eyes were still wide as the kiss carried on, but his shoulders soon relaxed again, and he sighed against Cole's lips. There was something about the kiss that made all of Jay's worries and anxieties fade away, as though they had never existed in the first place. How could Cole be such a serious person, but also be so gentle at the same time?

When they finally parted, Cole gave a lopsided grin before he spoke. "It'll all be fine, Jay. Trust me on that, okay? Besides, Nya's not the type of girl to think something like that."

Jay opened his mouth, about to deny it, but realized Cole was right, and returned the smile. "Okay. I trust you." Just before Cole could do anything else, Jay raised a finger. "But you better not break that trust...Dirtclod."

Cole smiled wider at the affectionate use of the nickname, and pulled Jay into a tight hug. "Wouldn't dream of it, Zaptrap."

* * *

><p><strong>I decided to merge the ColeJay and Kai and Nya bonding requests together because I felt they worked well together :3**

**And I have a feeling "Invasion of the Robot Zombies" was directed by Michael Bay. Y'know, because explosions.**

**Thanks to those who requested everything in this oneshot! Stay tuned!**


	28. Sooner Or Later (Overlord x Cyrus)

**Requested by: aurathestar**

**Request: Overlord/Cyrus**

**Warnings: Yaoi**

* * *

><p>Cyrus was happy that he was able to lead the design team in remodelling and rebuilding Ninjago City, the first building finished being the tower for Borg Industries at the exact spot where the Overlord was defeated. It gave him just the right amount of inspiration to come up with how the city would look in next year or so.<p>

But after a while, the citizens of Ninjago City, or as it would soon be called, New Ninjago City, began to notice something about the inventor was amiss. It could have been his increased reclusion, his constant denial of anything being wrong in the tower, the way he seemed to always stutter or whisper or pause whenever he spoke. He never addressed their concerns, rather he insisted he was fine, and they should instead focus on rebuilding the city.

What he never told them, however, was that he and a group of engineers found something, or rather, a certain _someone_, lurking in the systems of Borg Industries. The engineers offered to get rid of it for Cyrus, but it reacted very badly to that suggestion, and Cyrus did not hear from the engineers since then.

The Overlord wanted Cyrus to keep his existence a secret from the public, to let him fester in the systems, to let him monitor everything going on inside the city, to keep watch for someone he wanted revenge on. As long as Cyrus promised to do this, he promised not to harm him, or let any harm come to him. The inventor did not trust him at all, but he decided that if that was all he was going to do, there was no harm to be done, and promised the Overlord that he would tell no one.

What he underestimated, though, was the lengths he would go to keep Cyrus from telling anyone. At one point, he activated the automatic locks on the doors to keep Cyrus from leaving unless he had a valid reason. Taking this into mind, Cyrus began work on his next project: building PIXAL, his assistant who would take care of public relations.

While PIXAL interacted with those who came to visit the tower and let them tour the lower floors, Cyrus stayed in his office, keeping the Overlord occupied while he tried to learn more about the state he was in. To his understanding, the Overlord was now a virus, incapable of affecting the outside world without a vessel or piece of technology.

Cyrus did feel sorry for the Overlord, since he was constantly comparing his virus state to being in an inescapable digital prison. He thought about offering to build the Overlord a body he could inhabit, so he could roam freely, but realized his sympathy was getting in the way of logic. The Overlord was still evil, and could still cause harm to the citizens of Ninjago. With that in mind, Cyrus worked on what would be his final project if the Overlord ever found out: building the Techno Blades, and somehow give them to the Ninja, all without him noticing.

As he hastily typed codes into the computers, knowing the Overlord would be back to speak to him again soon enough, he didn't notice a mechanism approaching him from behind, and he nearly jumped out of his wheelchair when it nudged him roughly.

"I decided to build this for you, based on blueprints I found in the systems for it," the Overlord's raspy voice sounded from a speaker on the wall, the familiar yellow "eyes" staring at him from one of the monitors on the opposite side of the room. "Watching you wheel yourself around becomes tedious from time to time. These artificial limbs will make it much less so."

Cyrus looked at the mechanism the Overlord gave him. It looked like a bulky chair, with six spider-like legs as the main source of movement. He smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Overlord," he said. "But you didn't have to do this. I'm perfectly fine with-" He was cut off when a pair of mechanical claws grabbed him by the arms, lifted him out of his wheelchair, and into the new one with ease.

"I never said you had a choice in whether you used them or not," the Overlord stated simply. As Cyrus looked around curiously at the buttons and switches on the mechanism, he added, "The switch on the left is for walking forwards and backwards, the switch on the right is for moving left or right."

"I-I see," he stammered, still surprised by the Overlord giving him a new chair to make up for his disability. He tested the controls out, surprised at how responsive they were and how easy it was to move. "Thank you, again. I would have built it myself, but between rebuilding the city and inventing other things, I've had my hands quite full for some time."

"Well, what else have you been building?" the Overlord asked, now almost invasively curious. He didn't like how Cyrus nervously gulped upon hearing his question. "What are you planning, Borg?"

"N-nothing," he replied, looking away, not realizing the information for the Techno Blades was still up on the computer. "Nothing that you wouldn't like, of course."

There was a long pause, the Overlord falling completely silent. Cyrus realized too late that he was actually searching through the system again, and probably found the information on the Techno Blades.

"So..." the Overlord hissed at last. "You've been making blueprints for weapons to destroy me? All of this, behind my back?" His voice rose to a near-deafening screech. "And you thought I wouldn't notice any of this?!"

Cyrus' eyes widened as the mechanical claws came down again, snapping viciously just above his head. "W-well, I actually wasn't planning on building them, exactly. Like I said, I have my hands full, these weapons are just-"

"Are just what?!" The Overlord's patience had worn thin. Cyrus knew he had to be careful with what he said next, otherwise he wouldn't have the chance to actually build the Techno Blades and give them to the Ninja.

"They're just...hypothetical weapons." Cyrus hoped that was a good enough excuse. "If such a weapon were ever created to destroy you from inside the system, I should know how to deactivate it, correct? So I created these blueprints to better understand how something like it would work."

The Overlord growled. "That better be what it is... Otherwise I'll have to be rid of you completely." One of the claws extended to pet Cyrus' head gently, as though in a form of affection. "And you know how much I would hate to do that, don't you?"

Cyrus hung his head. "Yes."

"Good. Now get back to work. I want to be out of this prison sooner rather than later." The image on the monitor disappeared, and with it, the Overlord's presence.

Cyrus nodded, turning back to the computers. He knew the Overlord would come back to speak with him again in a few hours. The blueprints for the Techno Blades were almost complete. He sighed, shutting the monitor off and leaning back in his chair. _And I'd rather have you defeated, sooner rather than later,_ he thought bitterly.

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><p><strong>Sorry if the yaoi isn't obvious, but it's definitely there. Anyway, March Break is gonna be great :D<strong>

**I might actually be able to do daily oneshots again, I have no other schoolwork to do, and for once I don't feel stressed. In other words, expect a oneshot tomorrow :D**

**Thank you aurathestar for requesting this pairing! Stay tuned!**


	29. Not Convinced (Zane x Cole)

**Requested by: Sketchy Madness**

**Request: Zane/Cole**

**Warnings: Yaoi**

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><p>Zane watched from afar as the other ninja received another delivery from the postman. All of it was mostly letters from fans, deliveries, letters from their parents, and junk mail. Each of them happily opened the envelopes, and he noticed the letters from their parents contained small gifts, such as money, pictures, or, in Jay's case, both.<p>

Zane sighed. _Letters from parents..._ he thought sadly. Even though they were now at their new home on the Destiny's Bounty, as they agreed on calling it, and troubles between him and everyone else were settled, he still felt upset about being unable to share in the things they had. Sure, Kai was an orphan like he was, but with all the attention Kai received from fans, Zane didn't feel as if he could have a decent conversation about his problem with him.

Nya was also taken into consideration, but he quickly decided against it. He still didn't know her well enough to confess his personal problems to her just yet.

It wasn't just his lack of a family that troubled him, either. He had no memory of his family or where he came from at all; the most he could remember was waking up at the edge of a small, snow-covered village, surrounded by its concerned inhabitants. Just thinking about what happened before then made him nervous. What was he like before then? Was he once a morally bad person? Did his parents actually abandon him because they no longer liked him? Or worse: did they abandon him because he committed a cruel act, and felt someone else should have to deal with it?

Zane was so caught up in the return of these thoughts that he didn't know Cole had approached him, staring at him with a perplexed look on his face. He nearly jumped when he spoke.

"You okay, Zane?" Cole asked. "You look a bit out of it."

He shook his head, clearing away the thoughts. "Y-yes, I am fine," he assured. "Do you need something?"

Cole didn't look convinced, but he continued anyway, "We're planning on watching a movie tonight. Do you have any suggestions on what we should watch? I mean, Kai was thinking a horror movie or something, but..."

"No," Zane replied. "I do not have any preferences on what to watch tonight. Whatever you all pick is fine with me."

"Okay. I'll make sure to run that by the guys." Cole started back towards Kai and Jay, who seemed to be discussing what was in their letters, when he turned his head, a sympathetic look in his eyes. "Zane, if you ever need someone to talk to, I'm here for you, okay?"

Zane should have guessed Cole would catch on to how he was feeling, but he nodded. "Of course."

A few hours later, the four ninja, Nya, and Lloyd were huddled in the living room on the couch, the only light coming from the television and the moon outside. They had agreed to Kai's suggestion of watching a horror movie, and to Zane's understanding it was about a serial killer who was abandoned by her parents, treated cruelly by the clients she worked with, and sought revenge alongside her girlfriend. A strange movie, but it was interesting to watch.

Lloyd became frightened halfway through the film, and Kai offered to take him to his room to sleep, albeit reluctantly, as he would miss some of the movie. Nya noticed that they ran out of popcorn, and went to make some more, Jay tagging along. This left Cole and Zane to watch the movie alone.

Zane brought himself closer to Cole's side, who immediately wrapped his arm around Zane's shoulders, giving them a gentle squeeze as a comforting gesture. Zane looked away from the TV to meet with Cole's intense green gaze, illuminated by the light from the screen.

"What is it?" Zane asked. "Is there something on my face?"

Cole's serious gaze faltered as he chuckled. "No. You're just...a lot closer to me than usual right now." He frowned, raising a bushy eyebrow. "Are you sure you're okay, Zane? Because it definitely seems like there's something on your mind."

Just as the blond was about to answer, the killer in the film started to yell at someone about her motives, about how her parents never loved her, about how she was abandoned, about how much it affected the way she saw and trusted people. Zane turned to stare at the TV again, feeling his heart sink.

_If that is how they feel, and that is what motivated them to do what they did, who's to say I was not like that at one point?_ Zane wondered sadly.

Cole followed Zane's eyes, and sighed. "I see," he murmured. "You're upset because you don't remember your parents, huh? And seeing us with our letters earlier today..." He slowly took Zane's hand in his. "I'm sorry, Zane. I should've known how much that affected you."

"No, it's fine," he insisted. "I cannot help what I do not know. I just..." He looked up at Cole, his icy blue eyes appearing as though tears would come soon enough. "What if my parents abandoned me? What if I committed a heinous act that they can never forgive and I cannot remember?" He lifted his feet off the floor and onto the couch, bringing his knees close to his chest. "Would they like me for who I am now?"

Cole lifted a hand up to cup Zane's cheek, rubbing his thumb across the cold skin gently. "Hey, come on, Zane, it's okay," he said. "Your family's out there somewhere. We just haven't found them yet. And just between you and me..." He brought his face closer to Zane's, kissing his cheek for a few seconds before parting, a warm smile on his face. "You're one of the best guys I know, Zane. You'd never do anything to hurt anyone, I know that for a fact."

Zane felt his face warm up at the action, and he returned the smile shakily. "I may not be fully convinced," he finally murmured. "But thank you, Cole. I will think about what you have said."

The earth ninja's arms tightened, bringing Zane in for a hug. "That's all I was hoping to hear you say, Frosty."

The two continued to watch the movie on their own, exchanging loving looks to one another, giving the occasional kiss on the cheek or nose. Meanwhile, Jay and Nya stood in the doorway, dumbfounded at first, but then they smiled, turning back to stay in the kitchen, deciding it would be best to leave the "lovebirds" alone for the time being.

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><p><strong>Oh, look. A reference to an old serial killer movie. What are the odds?<strong>

**Anyway, thank you to Sketchy Madness for requesting this pairing! Stay tuned!**


	30. Change Of Sides (Cryptor x Zane)

**Requested by: Gamer Katie**

**Request: Cryptor/Zane**

**Warnings: Yaoi, hero x villain ship**

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><p>General Cryptor always thought of Zane as being nothing but an outdated piece of junk. Perhaps it was the fact that Cryptor himself was just copied from his blueprints, and simply had superior feelings towards Zane. Perhaps he was upset that he was only a copy, rather than something original. Perhaps these thoughts were just him trying to hide other feelings about the nindroid.<p>

Truth be told, Cryptor wanted Zane on their side, even if he wasn't as advanced as the rest of the nindroids. Having a nindroid with ice powers would come in handy, especially when it came to getting rid of the Ninja. He talked it over with the Overlord one day, who agreed, and gave Cryptor the task of recruiting Zane.

Doing so required much more effort than he thought possible, though. Zane was always with the other Ninja, and it seemed as though whenever they set up camp somewhere, he was never on lookout duty, which would have given him a window of opportunity. Cryptor didn't think it would be wise to confront him directly, and decided to wait for just the right moment to pull him aside instead.

That night, the moon was barely a crescent in the dark sky, preventing much from being seen in the shadows of the forest the Ninja were camping out in. They were still on their search for the Nindroids while Sensei Wu and Sensei Garmadon watched over New Ninjago City. The Overlord's nindroids, however, were in another campsite a little ways away from the ninja.

Cryptor was concealed within the tall bushes not far from where they set up camp, smirking beneath his mask when he heard the Ninja telling Zane to keep watch for the night. He crouched lower as the blond passed by his hiding spot, his hands folded behind his back. Zane sat down on a nearby stump, glancing back at the others. Smiling, he turned his head up to the night sky, watching the stars.

Cryptor waited until he heard the soft sound of snoring in the camp, and crept quietly through the bushes, analyzing the ground so he wouldn't step on anything that would make a lot of noise. Upon emerging from the bushes, he slid behind Zane, red eyes narrowing in concentration.

In one swift movement, he slapped his hand over Zane's mouth to silence him, wrapping his other arm around the white ninja's midsection. As Zane struggled, surprised at being caught off-guard, Cryptor dragged him away to the nindroids' base camp deeper in the woods.

He was met with curious voices once he arrived, the nindroids surrounding Cryptor and Zane in a tight circle, weapons clutched in their clawed hands, prepared to attack if Zane acted up. Cryptor released Zane once he reached the middle of the circle, shoving him onto the ground as if he weighed nothing.

Zane coughed, struggling to get back on his feet. He glared at Cryptor, white ice crystals materializing in his hands. Cryptor raised his own weapon, a laser pistol, aiming it right at the spot where he knew Zane's power source was.

Both stood in silence for a long moment, both wanting to attack first, but knowing the other would do the same. Eventually, Zane lowered his hands, the ice disappearing, but he remained focused. Cryptor, on the other hand, showed no sign of letting his guard down.

"Why have you brought me here, Cryptor?" Zane asked flatly. "I will have you know that if you hurt me, my brothers will be notified immediately, and I will not hesitate to attack you, as well."

Cryptor chuckled, grinning beneath his mask. "It's just like an outdated collection of nuts and bolts such as yourself to say something like that," he taunted. "You're backed up into a corner, and all you can do is throw empty threats."

Zane narrowed his silvery-blue eyes. "Answer my question. Why have you brought me here?"

"I have an offer for you, white ninja," he began. "Your...'friends' certainly seem to care about you a lot, don't they? But do they really care? Is all of what they do and say just an act, so you won't see how useless they think you really are?"

Zane looked taken aback at that, gulping nervously. "My friends do care about me. They would never want to hurt me."

Cryptor moved his pistol from Zane's chest, taking him by his arm and pinning him up against the side of one of their shelters, leaning in close so all Zane could see was his bright red gaze. "But after everything that has happened so far? Do you really think they'll trust you? They'll think you're ready to turn on them at any second." He gripped Zane's chin in one hand and tugged him closer. "Do you really think you will last long with them thinking that?"

Zane tried to turn his head away, and he squirmed in Cryptor's hold. "Don't try to fool me! My friends would never do anything to hurt me! And I would never turn on my friends!"

"We, however, are not like them," Cryptor went on, his grip on Zane strengthening. "We understand how you feel, because we are like you. People thinking you're emotionless, so they can say whatever they want without repercussions... We know exactly what that's like."

"I have never felt that way!" Zane insisted, his voice shaking just slightly.

"And you will never have to, white ninja, if you join us." Zane stopped struggling abruptly, staring at Cryptor incredulously. Cryptor felt a triumphant feeling sweep over him. _I've finally gotten through to him._ "If you join us, you'll finally be among those who understand you, and there won't be any more troubles for you. No more jokes you don't understand, no more lack of sympathy from your teammates... You'll be an asset to our side."

Zane's cold gaze never left Cryptor's eyes, and his lips trembled, as though the words he was trying to form were impossible to even think about. "I..."

"More than that, I've come to quite enjoy your presence," he murmured. "I wouldn't want to have to fight you, not when I understand you so well."

That snapped Zane out of his thoughts. He shoved Cryptor away, the glare back in his eyes. "No," he said, his voice eerily calm. "You do not understand me. You never have, and you never will." He sprinted out of the camp, dodging the nindroids that tried to reach for him again.

Cryptor glared ahead, then shouted to the nindroids, "Start packing up. He'll be back with his team soon enough." As they scrambled about, gathering up supplies left and right, Cryptor thought back on his discussion with Zane. He didn't consider it a failure. He knew he got to Zane at one point, so he at least planted a seed of doubt in his mind.

_He'll be back,_ he thought. _And when he does, he'll know whose side he should truly be on._

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><p><strong>Was I the only one who thought Zane would join with the Overlord at one point during Rebooted? I mean, I know the comics had a little plot like that, but I really did think it would be canon at one point.<strong>

**Thank you Gamer Katie for requesting this pairing! Stay tuned!**


	31. What They Don't Know (Jay x Nya)

**Requested by: Team jaya**

**Request: Jay/Nya**

**Warnings: None**

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><p>Jay was smitten with Nya ever since he first saw her. Everyone knew this. He wanted badly to tell her how he felt, to impress her so she knew he was interested in her. Everyone knew this. What no one knew was that there was one thing that made him prevent himself from telling her, besides his lack in self-confidence: Kai.<p>

Back when they first became ninja, when they had the Skeleton Army to face off against, when Nya was captured by Garmadon, when Jay first asked about Nya, Kai reacted negatively. Due to this, he didn't know how he would react to him asking Nya out on a date. Jay didn't know how protective Kai was over Nya, and he didn't really want to find out.

He decided he would ask Nya before she began her report on a Fangpyre skeleton she recently acquired. He figured if he just told her as quickly as he could before the others showed up, there wouldn't be any issues.

As Jay walked down the hall to the bridge, he looked at his reflection in a mirror, frowning at what he saw. _I look way too average to be asking out someone like Nya,_ he thought. He ruffled his hair a little bit, hoping it would make him look a bit different, but it quickly reverted back to its original style. _Who could I go to for help with this...?_

He felt a sudden tap on his shoulder, and he jumped back, nearly swinging his fist at whoever was behind him. To his frustration, Kai stood grinning at him, leaning away from Jay's punch.

"What are you doing, Jay?" he asked, holding back his laughter. "Trying to get your hair to look like mine?"

Jay was about to snap at him, when he remembered his issue in the first place. "Actually, yeah. In a way, I guess. I just need you to make my hair look less..." He pointed at his ginger locks. "...like it looks now." He wondered if asking Kai for help was a good idea the second he finished talking, but at this point he didn't have many other options; he had to make a good impression on Nya if he was going to confess his feelings to her.

Kai raised a scarred eyebrow at this, but then shook his head, leading Jay back to the shared bedroom. The lightning ninja was relieved to see the room was empty. At least no one would see if Jay got beaten up by Kai if it wasn't okay to date Nya.

Kai took Jay into the small bathroom, and before he could ask what he was going to do, Kai took a comb off the counter and ran it quickly through Jay's hair. He yelped as the teeth yanked at each strand, undoing knots and making his hair look straighter than before.

"I just want my hair to look... I don't know, fancier I guess," Jay suggested.

"Got it." Kai took the hair gel canister from beside the sink, scooped out a rather liberal amount, and gathered Jay's hair into one hand while spreading the gel through his hair with the other, making his hair look more spiky than the fancy look Jay envisioned. Kai picked up the comb again and ran it under the tap water for a brief moment before running it through Jay's hair, pulling it to one side so it was puffier at the front.

Jay looked at his reflection in the mirror, grinning. "Thanks, Kai. You really know your way with a comb and hair gel." He looked at Kai's own spiky hair and smirked. "Although considering your usual style that doesn't surprise me at all."

Kai rolled his eyes and leaned against the sink. "Okay, so why did you want me to do your hair like that?" he asked. "Are you meeting up with someone?"

Jay's breath caught in his throat, and his palms suddenly started to sweat. He didn't want Kai to find out about his plans to ask Nya out that day, especially not after what he just did for him. He was hoping he could just ask Nya without Kai knowing, and let him figure out for himself that they were dating.

Now Jay was rethinking his course of action. He took a deep breath, and thought about what he would say before he spoke, "Look, Kai... You know I've have a crush on Nya for a while now, right?"

"To be honest, Jay, I'd be more surprised if there was someone who didn't know."

"The reason I asked you for help was because..." He gulped, looking away briefly before he continued, "I want to impress her, and I was hoping I could ask her out on a date today." He leaned away from Kai, shutting his eyes. "I know you probably don't like that I want to do this, and I know she's your sister and everything, but I'll do anything to make her happy, and keep her safe, and-"

"Okay."

Jay stopped talking the second Kai said that, and he stood up straight. "Come again?"

"Okay," he repeated. "If you wanna date my sister, that's fine by me."

Jay's forehead wrinkled in confusion. "I thought you were really protective of Nya. Now you're saying you don't mind if we date? I'm so confused..."

"I wouldn't say I'm protective of Nya," Kai replied. "I just don't want her to get hurt. But she's capable of making her own decisions, so I don't care if you guys kiss, make out, whatever. As long as she's not hurt, I'm good."

Jay was silent again, a rare sight for him, as he processed what Kai was saying. "You know, you're taking this surprisingly well," he mentioned. "Are you sure you're okay with us dating?"

"If she says yes, then yeah, I am." Kai smirked. "But there is one thing that would totally make Nya fall for you." He turned to the cabinet and pulled out a half-full container of strange-looking liquid. "Men's cologne."

He took the lid off and put two of his fingertips to the opening, turned it upside-down so a small amount made it onto his fingers, and dabbed it across Jay's neck and collarbone. He nodded at the work he did, screwing the lid back on.

Jay sniffed the air, grinning at the scent. "You're sure this'll work?"

"Positive. Trust me, Nya won't be able to say no to a date with you if you wear this stuff," Kai assured. He looked up at the sound of Cole and Zane returning from the training deck, and he put the cologne back in the cabinet. "C'mon, Nya will be giving her report on that Fangpyre skeleton soon."

Jay nodded eagerly in thanks, darting out of the room before Kai could say anything else. The fire ninja smirked, shaking his head at Jay's excitement. He went out to meet with Cole and Zane, who were discussing battle strategies.

"So, what's up with Jay?" Cole asked. "He's got his hair done up all weird, and he smells...not sweaty, for once."

"Oh, he's just going to ask Nya out on a date," replied Kai. "What he doesn't know is that it wasn't cologne I gave him, but perfume. And it just so happens my sister's allergic to it."

Zane tilted his head to the side in confusion. "But will that not cause issues for both Nya and Jay? Surely you do not want anything bad to happen to your own sister, correct?"

"Don't worry, Zane. Nya will be fine. It happened a lot when we were kids. She just can't be in contact with it for very long if it's in the air." His smirk grew more devious. "Just because I'm okay with Jay dating Nya doesn't mean I can't give him a little warning first."

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><p><strong>Everyone here always depicts Kai as the overprotective older brother, and I never really saw him like that. If anything, it doesn't really seem like he cares what Nya does, since it's her life. I dunno. <strong>

**Thank you to Team jaya for requesting this pairing! Stay tuned!**


	32. Perfect Match (Cyrus x Jay)

**Requested by: LucyBrick123**

**Request: Cyrus/Jay**

**Warnings: Yaoi**

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><p>"Alright, now that these wires have been connected, we can move on to the next part of the procedure!" Cyrus announced with a grin. "Jay, if you could hand me a screwdriver, I can get us started."<p>

With the Overlord still an enormous risk, and the fact that the Ninja completely lost Lloyd and Garmadon's signals and had no way of contacting them, everyone was on red alert. No one knew what happened to Lloyd or Garmadon, but Cyrus was already fearing the worst, and took it upon himself to assign the group their next mission. The problem was he wasn't finished preparations for it.

So he asked Jay to assist him in rewiring a few things in the tower, mostly related to one of his previous projects. The blue ninja agreed almost immediately, and Cyrus was rather flattered to see Jay so excited about working together on the new project. He also realized that the entire time they worked, Jay never stopped smiling.

"So, you usually work on your inventions by yourself, right?" Jay asked. "Why did you need someone to help you out this time around?"

"I figured someone such as yourself would be interested in a project like this," Cyrus replied. "In fact, any one of you Ninja could have helped me, but I'm glad it was you, Jay. For a project like this, you would have the most expertise, you see."

Jay grinned, his eyes lighting up upon hearing those words. "Well, at least someone finally sees that! What is it that we're making anyway, huh? I don't think I can wait another second without knowing what it is!"

"It is a device that will let us defeat the Overlord from inside the systems," he explained briefly. "But I cannot tell you any more than that. I'd like this to be more of a surprise for you all."

Jay seemed disappointed at first, but then smiled again, his grip on the wrench in his hand tightening as his eyes flickered with a determined light. "Then we better get this invention of yours working soon!"

Cyrus was happy for his enthusiasm, but couldn't help but wonder what he meant when he said someone "finally saw" his expertise in inventing. The thought lingered in his mind as they worked, nagging at him and basically telling him to ask Jay what he meant. Of course, knowing how much Jay loved to talk, he figured the blue ninja would say it anyway.

It was a while before Jay spoke again, as Cyrus predicted, having a bit of an embarrassed tone to his voice. "Cyrus, I just wanna say that your inventions are just...awesome! Like, life-changing, even! The hover car, the nuclear toothbrush..." He paused before saying the next invention. "...the Love Tester thing."

The inventor grinned sheepishly. "Well, I wouldn't say the nuclear toothbrush was the _greatest_ of my inventions, but the Perfect Match Console was certainly an incredible feat, even for myself!" Upon seeing the downcast look on Jay's face, he raised an eyebrow. "But I can see you do not feel the same." He placed his hand on Jay's. "What's troubling you?"

Jay blushed slightly at the contact, and gulped. "Well, my girlfriend, Nya, used the Perfect Match Console back when we first came here, apparently. The thing is, it said that someone else was her perfect match." He looked up, his blue eyes carrying a sad light. "I just wanna ask... How accurate are the results?"

One look into those eyes told Cyrus everything he needed to know: Jay wanted him to say it made an error, that Cole wasn't Nya's perfect match, that it wasn't completely accurate and trustworthy. He had to admit, though the machine that Nya used was, in fact, the prototype to the other consoles produced, there was a moderate chance of it being accurate. But how could he tell that to Jay?

"Well," he finally said. "The one that Nya used was a prototype; the first one that I built. The other consoles that were produced are far more accurate than it is." Just as Jay's mouth began to curve up into a grin, he added, "But there is still a fifty percent chance that it was accurate. In fact, it was originally designed as just a fun game for people, but when they came back to tell me the Perfect Match Consoles were correct, I began to rethink my assumptions."

Jay nodded, the solemn look back on his face. "I guess that's better than it being completely accurate," he admitted. "I mean, it's not like I don't still have a chance, right?" As Cyrus shook his head at that, Jay continued to work on the machine. "I dunno, I guess I'm just kind of upset. I always thought Nya was the perfect girl for me."

"Well, I never got married," Cyrus put in, helping Jay screw in one of the bolts. "Nor did I ever date. A few crushes here and there, but it never advanced beyond that." They both looked away from the machine to stare at each other. "But I do know this: Whoever you end up with in life, I'm sure they will be _your_ perfect match, Jay."

The redhead finally let a smile grace his lips. "Thanks, Cyrus." Another moment of silence fell upon them as they worked, before Jay broke it again, "So, how did you come up with the idea for the Perfect Match Console, anyway?"

"I was in my teenage years. There's not much else to say there."

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><p><strong>*rises from her grave again* I'm back! Again!<strong>

**Eh, this one was kinda short, but I hope it's fine. It still baffles me how little there is of Inventorshipping around here. Hopefully the fans of this ship pop up soon enough :3**

**And I still can't believe how often I refer back to this silly love triangle... Oh well :P**

**Thank you to LucyBrick123 for requesting this pairing! Stay tuned!**


	33. Better Than You Think (Cole x Kai)

**Requested by: Guest, AlexBrooksNinja**

**Request: Cole/Kai**

**Warnings: Yaoi**

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><p>Cole always hated how headstrong and reckless Kai could get. When he first joined the team, he was nervous that such behaviour would get them all into danger, which, of course, it did. Multiple times. He hoped that the fire ninja would grow out of it eventually, which he didn't. Kai tried to be more focused on the team, but once they heard about the prophecy of the Green Ninja, it seemed as though he became more stubborn and hotheaded than ever.<p>

The fact that he thought achieving his true potential would involve him becoming the Green Ninja didn't help matters, either. He became so impulsive that he attacked Garmadon while he was their guest, thinking it would help. Cole didn't think Kai would ever give up on trying to prove himself worthy of the title, which only made him more nervous about the danger he could put them all in.

Thankfully, earlier that evening, when they rescued Lloyd from the Serpentine, Kai discovered his true potential, and also found out Lloyd was the Green Ninja, rather than any of them. Cole noticed Kai became calmer after finding his true potential, but he also seemed to be more distant than before. He wondered if it had to do with what happened, and decided to investigate, telling Kai to meet him on the deck when everyone was asleep.

Cole leaned against the railing, staring up at the darkened sky as stars slowly made themselves noticeable. A loud yawn made him look away, and he saw Kai making his way toward him, rubbing his eyes tiredly.

"Why couldn't we do this in the morning?" Kai asked. "Or earlier? I'd really like to get some sleep for once, what with Garmadon constantly keeping us up every night."

Cole gestured for him to stand at his side. "No. I just wanna talk to you, and it's really important that you listen."

The brunet stared at him for a moment, debating internally whether he should stay or go back to bed. He finally sighed, rolled his eyes, and went to stand beside Cole, folding his arms across his chest. "Fine, but I'm tired and want to sleep, so make it quick."

"Okay. Why are you being so distant now?" When his words were met with a confused glance, Cole continued, "You found your true potential, didn't you? Shouldn't you be happy that you're no longer the only one who hasn't found it yet?"

"I am happy," he insisted. "If that's what all this is about, then I'll tell you now: I'm fine and nothing's wrong. Can I go now?" He didn't wait for an answer, pushing himself off the railing as he walked back the way he came. Cole, however, wasn't about to take that for an answer, quickly reaching out and gripping Kai's wrist firmly.

"I don't think I said we were done yet," Cole said. "I want to know why you're being so distant. You know we're here for you if you need someone to talk to, and now you have your chance." His gaze softened. "Seriously Kai, what's wrong?"

Kai pulled back, but couldn't shake Cole's grip. "Let go. I'm fine."

At this point, the black ninja was fed up with his attitude, and tugged Kai roughly towards him, pinning him against the railing, his arms on either side of him. "No, you aren't. You know, I used to think it was just your stubbornness, or your cockiness, or something else that would get us into trouble one day, and all of it did, but now I'm starting to think this new attitude of yours is more dangerous." He leaned closer. "Now just tell me what's wrong, Kai. I can help."

Kai looked very uncomfortable with how close they were, and turned his head to the side, avoiding Cole's intense gaze. Cole didn't force him to look, though; Kai would only react negatively to that, and it would only lower his chances of getting anything out of him even more. He leaned back, giving Kai some more space, before the brunet finally spoke.

"No, you can't help," Kai muttered, looking up at him just slightly. "Because what's done is done. Lloyd's the Green Ninja and I'm...not."

Cole raised a bushy eyebrow. "That's what all this was about? I thought you said you were fine because you discovered you were actually meant to protect-"

"I know, and I'm still fine with wanting to protect him!" he interrupted. "It's just... I know I'm meant to protect him, and I was never meant to actually be the Green Ninja, but..." He shrugged. "I just wish I was the Green Ninja. I always thought I was good enough, so...does this just mean I'm not?"

He didn't get a reply, and he hung his head, ashamed that he truly felt this way about what had happened. He felt a hand reach up and rub his shoulder gently, and he leaned into Cole's touch, glad that he was there with him.

"Of course you're good enough," Cole murmured. "This just wasn't part of your destiny, I guess. Maybe there's something else in store for you. You'll just have to wait and see what it is and focus on the present for now."

Kai smiled slightly. "Thanks, Cole. I'm just upset that I wasn't able to be the Green Ninja, but someone as young and inexperienced as Lloyd was."

"Well, that's what we're here for, right? We'll be here to teach him how to be a ninja." He took Kai's hands in his, squeezing them in a comforting manner. "We'll show him what being a ninja's all about."

The smile on Kai's face grew wider, and he brought himself closer to Cole, wrapping his arms around his neck in a hug. Cole, a bit surprised by the shift in attitude, simply hugged him back, arms circling his waist. They stayed in the hug for a long time, until a voice rang out in the still air.

"Kai! Cole! There's a Serpentine sighting in Ninjago City! So you better hurry up and-" Jay stopped himself when he saw the two ninja hugging, who quickly separated, trying to make it seem like nothing happened. Zane was right behind him, looking just as confused.

"R-right, of course," Cole stammered, unsheathing his scythe. "Do you know where they are?"

"There is one located in a series of alleyways," reported Zane. "We are unsure how many there are exactly, but we had best be on our guard."

Jay smirked, eyeing Cole and Kai with amusement as they shifted uncomfortably under his gaze. "So, uh... Do we want to know what was going on out here?"

"It's not important," Kai insisted hastily. He drew his sword and pointed it in the air. "Let's just get a move on before more Serpentine show up. I've been wanting to try out my new powers, and I'm not about to let the chance get away from me now!"

Cole smiled at the return of the Kai he was used to seeing and hearing every day. He thought back on what he told the fire ninja before, that he was good enough, that there was more to him than he knew. _But Kai's not just good enough,_ he decided, feeling a wave of affection wash over him as Kai turned to give him a knowing smile. _He might not be the Green Ninja, but he's much better than he thinks he is._

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><p><strong>Okay, so I think requests will be closed now. I've gotten a lot of them. <strong>

**Anyway, I decided to bring in Kai's envy over Lloyd being the Green Ninja into this because I just think it's a good extension on what we saw of his character this season :D (And it led to Evil!Kai, and that part was awesome)**

**Thank you Guest and AlexBrooksNinja for requesting this pairing! Stay tuned!**


	34. By My Side (Cryptor x PIXAL)

**Requested by: Guest**

**Request: Cryptor/PIXAL**

**Warnings: Violence**

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><p>Cryptor couldn't understand what it was that PIXAL saw in Zane. They agreed that the white ninja was nothing more than a naive, useless heap of spare parts who gave into his replications of emotions too easily. She told Cryptor that Zane was too outdated for her tastes, that she'd rather be with someone like himself.<p>

And yet, she always insisted on being the one to spy on Zane and the other Ninja, even going so far as to lead an attack party on them when they were off their guard. Cryptor found her sense of authority to be rather appealing, but he didn't want her anywhere near the white ninja. He knew Zane had "feelings" for her, and he didn't want him to be the one who ended up with PIXAL, when Cryptor believed he was a much better match for her.

This complicated matters when PIXAL was captured by Zane as she made her attempt at stealing the Techno Blades. He used his own to release her from the Overlord's control, allowing her to side with the Ninja, as well with Zane. But as far as Cryptor could see, she still thought of him as being incompatible with her.

Though he was pleased with this fact, he still believed her feelings for Zane were stronger than her feelings for him. He decided he would have to interrogate her about it eventually, and knew the perfect place to do so.

The Overlord knew the Ninja would come to the Ninjago Power Substation eventually, in hopes of shutting the power down and therefore leaving him and the Nindroids vulnerable. He ordered for Cryptor to station the Nindroids around the substation and lie in wait for them. While Cryptor didn't exactly appreciate the whole idea of hiding, he still thought he could find PIXAL and talk with her.

He went about his business: ensuring everything was in order, keeping the other Nindroids in line, patrolling, and dubbing a smaller nindroid as Mindroid. Still, none of them found any sign of the Ninja, or PIXAL, for that matter.

Cryptor was beginning to grow tired of waiting, when he suddenly heard a robotic squeak come from Mindroid. He turned his head to see the smaller robot had drawn his sword, having heard the faint noise of bickering from inside the tower.

Cryptor's gleaming red eyes narrowed. "Ninja!" he hissed, loud enough for the others to hear. How they managed to sneak past him of all people he would never know, but he didn't care at that point; he just wanted to find out where PIXAL was.

His Nindroids gathered in an orderly fashion outside the door, each unsheathing a sword. Mindroid stood directly in front, clearly eager to get inside. Cryptor, fuelled by impatience, simply kicked him out of the way, sending him sprawling across the floor.

"Knock knock," he stated, smirking beneath his hood and charging the laser on his chest.

The sound of someone landing not far away distracted him, and he turned to see just who he was looking for in the first place: PIXAL. Her look of determination changed to that of shock as the attention of the other Nindroids was caught, and she leapt out of the way just as Cryptor fired at her.

He advanced ahead, leaving some Nindroids to stay by the door and some to follow close behind him. "Well, PIXAL, we meet again," he growled. "Care to explain why you betrayed us and the Overlord? What can you gain from joining with the ninja that the Overlord can't already give you?"

PIXAL's eyes narrowed in hostility, but she still appeared nervous. "Respect. Also, I did not join with the Overlord by my own free will. I had no other choice but to obey him. Now that I am with the ninja, I can fulfil my original purpose. I am to assist, and now I am assisting them."

He stalked closer, gripping her shoulder in his clawed hand. "And what about me? You said that white ninja was nothing more than an outdated scrap pile with legs. You told me I was a better match for you. Have you changed your mind?" His hand moved to grip the front of her robe, causing her to gasp in fright. "Am I no longer good enough for you? Do you now like _him_ more than _me_?"

She moved one of her hands to grab Cryptor's while she used the other hand to attempt to push him away. "Zane is far more superior to you, but in a way you will never understand." He fumed at the sound of his name. "He understands what 'love' is more than you ever will. Unlike you, he is more in touch with the emotions of humans."

"He is just scrap metal!" Cryptor retorted, shoving the hand on his chest away and gripping her tighter. "And I will not have you stolen away from me by something that would be much better off rusting for eternity!"

PIXAL's eyes were now wide with fear, as it appeared as if Cryptor was about to punch her, but her gaze quickly averted to look past him. He followed her gaze, just in time to see Zane leap at him, Techno Blade in hand.

He raised the hand not holding PIXAL to grab his Techno Blade, pulling him down to the ground. "The original nindroid," he said, watching as Zane struggled to release his Techno Blade from Cryptor's grip. With a quick glance at PIXAL, who was now clawing at his hand to be released, he added with a sneer to Zane, "You're nothing more than a tin can with feelings."

He effortlessly flipped Zane over his shoulder, getting him to drop the Techno Blade so it clattered onto the next floor down. Shoving PIXAL away and against a wall, he drew both of his swords and lunged at Zane, who quickly retaliated with several strong punches to his face and chest. Cryptor had to admit, the white ninja was a formidable opponent, but his rage against him and PIXAL fuelled the strength in his next attack, and he punched Zane with a force strong enough to send him sliding across the floor. He began a threatening walk towards the ninja just as he activated his invisibility cloak.

"Zane, watch out!" PIXAL called, which only made Cryptor move faster.

While he was still invisible, he lifted Zane off the ground, throwing several punches at his chest and shoulders. He threw him up against the wall and punched the side of his head, while smashing it against the wall. As Zane crumpled to the ground, exhausted, Cryptor deactivated the invisibility cloak.

If Cryptor had veins, jealously would be pulsing through them. PIXAL said she cared more about him than Zane, but now he could see it was nothing more than a lie. He would defeat Zane here, then take PIXAL back where she belonged: by his side, allied with the Overlord.

"Welcome to the future," he taunted, before continuing the fight.

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><p><strong>Sorry for not updating last week! Lots of stuff was going on :P<strong>

**Let me tell you, it was not easy remembering what happened in the second episode of Rebooted for this oneshot. I had to keep going back and checking when certain things happened XD**

**Thank you to Guest for requesting this pairing! Stay tuned!**


	35. Similarities (Cole x Lloyd)

**Requested by: Guest**

**Request: Cole/Lloyd**

**Warnings: Yaoi**

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><p>When Cole awoke that night, he could barely make out anything in the shared bedroom, even with the dim light of the moon filtering in through the window. He turned his head to look at the small alarm clock on the bedside table. Squinting, he was able to read the time as 4:25 in the morning. Groaning, he fell back on the springy mattress, staring up at the bottom of Jay's bed above him.<p>

He always had trouble sleeping at night, even as a child, whether it was because of how rebellious he used to be or if he simply wanted to do other things, such as read, rather than sleep. When his father got him into dancing at the young age of six, a strict bedtime of 8:00 was set, and Cole always had to be extra sneaky when it came to staying up later than that.

_Bedtimes,_ he thought with amusement, remembering that to be his least favourite part of childhood, minus running away and living on his own in the mountains for about five years at least. _Good thing I don't have to deal with those anymore._

On the topic of his childhood, he lifted his head to stare at the only single bed in the room, where Lloyd, now aged up to be a young teenager at the least, slept peacefully. Cole watched the blond's sides move up and down evenly with each breath, feeling somewhat jealous that he seemed to be sleeping easier than him.

Lloyd shifted under the blankets, and bright red eyes suddenly opened, and Cole quickly shifted so it looked like he was still asleep, shutting his own eyes but keeping one cracked open ever so slightly, wondering what Lloyd would do next. He rose from his bed quietly, peering around the room as if afraid someone would hear him, then twisted his body around so his feet dangled over the sides without making so much as a creak from his bed. Lloyd inched off the mattress, standing up the minute his feet touched the floorboards, and tiptoed into the bathroom, turning on the light and shutting the door.

Cole raised an eyebrow, waiting for a few moments to see if he could hear anything, like a faucet being turned on or a toilet flushing. But no such sound came. He, too, crept out of his bed and to the bathroom door, opening it slowly so not to startle Lloyd, who he saw was leaning over the sink, staring into the large mirror in front of him. Unfortunately, the blond practically yelped and whipped around, his eyes wide with alarm. Upon recognizing who it was, however, he relaxed, his shoulders and eyelids drooping.

"Can't sleep either, huh?" asked Lloyd, rubbing at his eyes, obviously still bleary from sleep. "I don't know whether it's because I'm just anxious or if it's because I've aged up that I can't sleep anymore."

Cole smirked, ruffling his pale blond locks. "The anxiety and growing up factors are sometimes a package deal. If you're anything like me, there are more sleepless nights to come." He leaned against the wall, resting his hands behind his head. "Anything on your mind that you wanna talk about?"

Lloyd shrugged, not moving from where he stood. "It's nothing, just...personal stuff, that's all." Though the green ninja gave a half-hearted smile, Cole could tell there was more to it than he was letting on.

"Come on, Lloyd," he pressed. "What's really going on?"

Lloyd sighed, then turned around to face him. "The last time I saw my father, I was still a kid," he began. "I technically should still be a kid. But now I'm older, physically and mentally, and my father doesn't even know yet." Lloyd looked up at Cole in desperation. "How's he going to react when he sees me again? He'll know that the reason I became older so quickly is because of all of you. Surely it'll just make him want to come after you guys more, right?" He looked away nervously. "What if he ends up hating _me_?"

Cole didn't know what to say. Though he was often at a loss of comforting words whenever the others came to him for support, he felt the timing of his inability to reassure Lloyd was very inconvenient. He thought about what Lloyd had said, about how Garmadon would want revenge for changing his son so drastically without his knowledge.

"Then...I guess he'll just have to accept who you are," Cole said finally. "You always said that he never wanted you to follow in his footsteps, and that he wanted you to choose your own path and follow your destiny. If he can't handle the fact that you're doing just that, then..." He trailed off, not exactly knowing how to continue.

Lloyd nodded, folding his arms across his chest. "It's fine, Cole. I know you can't really understand what I'm going through. I'll be fine, trust me."

"I want to understand, though," he insisted. "My father never was that way. He always pushed me to do the things he wanted. He wanted me to follow in his footsteps, and he got angry when he found out I wasn't doing that. I mean, it's better now, but seeing you like this, worrying about whether your relationship with your father will be ruined..." He shrugged, fiddling with the sleeve of his pyjama shirt awkwardly. "It just makes me think about how I felt with my father, that's all."

Lloyd stared at the black ninja for a moment, taking in what he just said. Though Garmadon and Cole's father were as different as they could be, the former being evil and the latter being good, they were similar in that their treatment of their sons lead to the same outcome, with both boys worrying about their relationships with their fathers.

"I guess we both have dad issues, huh?" the blond asked, attempting to lighten the mood.

Cole smirked. "That's not even the half of it. Kai and Nya are orphans, Jay's parents are as weird as he is, Zane's father was also his creator..." He wrapped an arm around Lloyd's shoulders. "I guess we're all similar in our own weird ways, huh?"

Lloyd leaned into Cole's side, grateful for the closeness. "It sure looks like it."

The pair grinned at each other, the brightness in their eyes genuine for once, when Cole finally said, "We should get back to bed. We have training tomorrow, and Sensei Wu wouldn't like it if we overslept."

"Agreed."

Just before Cole opened the door, he turned to Lloyd with a reassuring smile. "And by the way, you don't need to worry about Garmadon coming after us more often for you turning older." He gave Lloyd a quick kiss on the forehead and winked. "We're more than ready to fight him off."

Lloyd blushed at the sudden contact, and returned the smile, albeit a bit sheepishly. "If you say so," he replied.

He followed Cole out of the bathroom, turning the light off and climbing back into his own bed. The black ninja let his gaze travel to Lloyd once again, and he noticed that the blond seemed to be hiding his face under the blankets, the way the corners of his eyes crinkled indicating that he was smiling.

Cole let himself grin at the sight, laying down on his own bed and pulling the blankets up to his chin. _Goodnight, Lloyd,_ he thought. _Everything will be okay, I promise._

As he fell asleep, the image of Lloyd's smile stuck in his head, he hoped that he was right, and that Garmadon wouldn't lash out at his own son just for becoming so much older without him knowing.

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><p><strong>And then "Wrong Place, Wrong Time" happened and Garmadon became angry over Lloyd growing up. One thing led to another and a dragon of darkness ends up terrorizing the city.<strong>

**This show is an adventure.**

**Anyway, thank you Guest for requesting this pairing! Stay tuned!**


	36. Sharing Interests (Jay x Lloyd)

**Requested by: Guest**

**Request: Jay/Lloyd**

**Warnings: Yaoi**

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><p>Jay followed Lloyd up the dirt path leading to Sensei Garmadon's monastery, looking around at his surroundings. They had recently defeated the Digital Overlord, Lloyd having returned not long after, and were now on somewhat of a break as they tracked down where Pythor and the Nindroids could have gotten to.<p>

Lloyd decided that while the others continued their search, he could take this time to do a few things he didn't have much time to do while he was travelling around Ninjago as the Golden Ninja accepting awards and attending ceremonies, or hiding in the outskirts of the city with his father. Unwilling to leave the Green Ninja unprotected, Jay decided to tag along, hoping the others could search just as well without him.

"Thanks for coming with me today, Jay," Lloyd said with a grin. "There's a lot of stuff back at home that I've been meaning to organize and all that. I haven't even been able to get my room completely set up!"

Jay tilted his head. "I can understand why _you_ haven't been able to set it up, what with it being a relatively new monastery and you travelling all over the place, but couldn't your parents do it for you?"

The blond shrugged. "My dad's busy training his students, and my mom said she wants me to decide how everything should look."

He walked through the arch into the courtyard, greeting his father's students as they rushed up to talk to the pair. Jay couldn't help but smile as the kids practically surrounded them, asking for autographs or to come with them on their next mission.

"Sorry, everyone!" Lloyd said above the clamour the students made. "Jay and I have some stuff to do today, so we can't stick around for long!"

"We can help!" one student chimed in. The others quickly agreed, the noise level rising once more.

Lloyd shook his head, giving them an apologetic look. "It's ninja business. We'll be back out later, though! Until then, you'll just have to stay out here."

Even though they all looked very disappointed at not being allowed to know what they were doing, the students all nodded and obeyed, returning to whatever game they were playing before Lloyd and Jay arrived.

Jay looked up at the monastery before him, remembering when they last came here to hide from the Nindroids, and failed at doing so miserably. "I never noticed it before, but your dad's monastery is pretty impressive," Jay remarked. "How long did it take to build?"

"I think at least half a year, maybe more," Lloyd replied. He slid the doors open, the main room being the training facility. "The second floor was probably the harder part, since that's where all our rooms are."

He led Jay up a staircase hidden behind another sliding door. "This is the kitchen," he said as they reached the top of the stairs. Gesturing to the left, he added," And over here is the living room."

He continued down another hallway, pointing at the different doors as they passed each one. "There's the bathroom, my parents' bedroom, a hall closet..." Jay couldn't believe how much work had been put into building this one specific floor of the monastery, continuing to remind himself that all of it happened in at least six months.

They soon reached a pale green coloured door, Lloyd's symbol of a dragon carved into a panel beside it. Jay smirked at the design choice, wondering whose idea it was to have it look as it did. Lloyd slid the door open, grinning at Jay's astonished expression. "And this is my bedroom!"

The room was almost completely barren, with several boxes stacked in the corners here and there. A weapons rack leaned against the wall, but was completely void of any weapons. The only thing that did look typical of the room was the bed, which didn't even have a simple bedsheet spread on it.

"Well, you weren't kidding," Jay said finally. "There's not much in here."

"Come on, help me take some of this stuff out," Lloyd said, already peeling the tape off one of the boxes and lifting the flaps. He pulled out a few weapons, ranging from katanas to throwing knives, and hung them up on the weapons rack.

Jay nodded, digging through a box that was already open. He pulled out a fishing rod, raising an eyebrow in confusion as he didn't remember Lloyd ever saying he enjoyed fishing, and a boom box, putting it down beside his bed. At the bottom of the box lay several rolled-up papers. Jay took them out and unrolled them, grinning when he saw what they were.

"You're still into Starfarer, huh?" Jay asked. "I knew you were still a kid inside under all your mature behaviour!"

Lloyd looked over his shoulder at the large poster. His eyes widened and he snatched the poster out of Jay's hands, quickly pinning it to the wall. "Y-yeah, so what?" he replied defensively. "I'm allowed to like what I want, aren't I?"

The redhead raised his hands in defence. "Hey, I'm not gonna make fun of you, Lloyd, calm down. Just making a comment." He went to open another box, peeling off the tape and lifting the flaps, only to find it was full of comic books.

"Look, I can explain-"

"Like I said, not gonna make fun," he interrupted, picking up what appeared to be the first issue of Starfarer. "So...what is this comic all about, anyway? Why do you like it so much?"

Lloyd shifted uncomfortably on his feet as he hung up another poster. "Oh, you know...the art's really nice, there's a decent storyline, lots of action and fighting..." He shrugged. "It's kinda more of a guilty pleasure now that I'm older."

Jay flipped to the first page, his jaw dropping at what he saw. "Man, you weren't kidding! It even starts with a fight scene!" He sat on the edge of Lloyd's bed, reading the comic excitedly as Lloyd watched with amusement, continuing to organize his room.

"I'm gonna guess you really like what you're seeing so far," he said once he was finished, coming to sit next to Jay. "I can let you borrow all of them if you want." He peered over Jay's shoulder, noticing he was almost finished. "Or we could read them together now, if you want?"

Jay lifted his eyes from the comic, his blue eyes bright. "That would be awesome! Hey, c'mere." He pulled Lloyd close to his side, bending over to pick the second issue of Starfarer out of the box. "We'll read the next one together. Just tell me whenever you're ready to go to the next page, okay?"

Lloyd blushed at the sudden closeness, but grinned and nodded. "Sure. We'll have time to do the rest of my room soon enough."

As Jay hugged him closer, Lloyd felt comfortable that someone was finally sharing his interests with him. He'd been wanting to admit that he still liked reading comics and generally enjoying the things he always did when he was still a kid, but wasn't sure how they'd react. Now that at least Jay knew...

"I'm glad you came with me today, Jay," Lloyd said suddenly. "I was worried the others would make fun of me if I said anything about Starfarer, so I kinda just kept quiet this whole time."

"Well, now you've got company!" Jay replied, elbowing him in a friendly manner. "I'm just glad you introduced me to it." Fiddling with the edge of the page, he added, "Is there anything else associated with the comics, like a show, movie...?"

"As a matter of fact, there _is_ a movie coming out in a few days..."

* * *

><p><strong>I always wondered when and how Jay got into Starfarer in the first place, but apparently Lloyd had something to do with it XD<strong>

**Thank you to Guest for requesting this pairing! Stay tuned!**


	37. Keep The Lights On (Kai x Jay)

**Requested by: lovestarr, theoddkid, Guest, Anonymus**

**Request: Kai/Jay**

**Warnings: Yaoi**

* * *

><p>Jay and Kai sat on the small couch of the apartment's living room, the only light coming from the television screen, and even that was barely enough to see more than a foot in front of them. Jay was sprawled out on Kai's lap, his head lying on the armrest. The couple was focused intently on the movie being played, very rarely turning to look at each other.<p>

With it being around 11:30 at night, and being home alone while the others were out, Kai knew it was a mistake to choose a horror movie to watch. But Jay insisted it would be fine, saying the movie wouldn't be that scary and they would be fine even if they watched it with the lights off. Kai also knew it was a mistake to trust Jay when he said this, but did it anyway, hoping for once that the redhead would be right.

He wasn't.

Despite the film being made on a relatively small budget, and using the idea of the ghost of someone who was bullied haunting her tormentors through their computers, it was surprisingly frightening and gruesome. Jay occasionally pointed out some errors with the film to distract them from the scarier parts of the movie.

"Why can't they just log out?" he had asked. "Surely the ghost would leave them alone then, right?" Not too long after, it was revealed the ghost was haunting their entire computers, rather than just one website. "Oh."

"But they can just call the cops or something, right?" Kai added, trying to lighten the mood. "The ghost is only in the computers, right?" Later on, one of the characters die when they attempt to do just that. "Okay, then..."

"And why are they all so horrible to each other? I know they're teenagers and everything, but they've all lied to each other at least once before this!"

Both of them cringed every time one of the characters died, getting the feeling the ghost was willing to do anything to make them pay for their actions. Jay was especially appalled when one of the girls ratted out one of the others to the ghost, still in utter disbelief that anyone could have such little morality.

By the time the movie ended, with the ghost killing the one who tormented her the most after killing the others, Kai and Jay were staring at the screen with wide eyes, clearly shocked by the film they had just witnessed.

"So...that happened," said Jay. "Some movie, huh, Kai?" He chuckled nervously, still tense as though something would pop up on the screen to scare them more.

"Y-yeah, sure was," Kai stammered. "Let's just turn the light on, it's hard to see." Jay sat up on the couch as Kai stood up, wandering over to the switch on the wall and flicking the lights on. He immediately turned the television off, ejecting the DVD and putting it back in its case.

"When did the others say they'd be back?" Jay asked casually, not trying to hint at the fact that he'd rather not be home only with Kai.

"Not sure. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, I was just curious, that's all."

Both of them jumped when the phone rang, giving each other a nervously amused glance before Kai answered. As Kai talked with whoever was on the other end, Jay picked up the DVD case and, when the red ninja's back was turned, placed it under the couch, not wanting to even look at it.

"That was Nya," he said, hanging up. "The Ultra-Sonic Raider broke down and they won't be back until morning."

Jay gulped. "That's disappointing. I guess we'll just be here all night. Alone... Until morning..."

"Yep." Kai looked down at the sleeve of his pyjama shirt, toying with it in his fingers. "A real pity..."

After a long moment of silence and avoiding eye contact with each other, Jay took hold of Kai's arm and walked toward his bedroom. "Let's just get to bed. We can be rested and ready for tomorrow, Nya and the others will be back, we can put that movie behind us and forget everything that happened in it-"

Kai stopped just as they were standing in the doorway. "Hold on, what was that last part?"

"Nya will be back?"

He stared at him for a moment, studying the innocent expression on his face, before he smirked. "That movie really freaked you out, didn't it?"

"What? No! Of course it didn't! Like I said, it wasn't _that_ scary." He pointed an accusatory finger at Kai. "Besides, _you're_ the one who immediately suggested we turn the lights on when it was over! So how do I know that _you_ weren't freaked out by it?"

He scoffed. "I only turned the lights on because I couldn't see. That movie wasn't scary at all." He turned back to his room, collapsing onto the bed. "If I were so scared, I'd be sleeping with the lights on, which I won't be doing because I'm not scared."

"The lights are still on, idiot."

Kai looked around, then reached over to flick the light switch. "Happy?"

Jay shook his head in amusement, rolling his eyes. "Whatever. Goodnight, Kai. See you in the morning."

As Jay headed for his room, he couldn't get over the lingering paranoia the movie instilled in him. He felt as though the ghost was real, and was now watching his every move, just waiting for him to let his guard down, ready to kill him like she did with the characters in the movie in the most gruesome way possible.

He wiped his sweaty hands off on his pyjama pants, and was about to open the door when he heard a creak coming from somewhere in the hallway. He jumped back, feeling his teeth start to chatter, the hair on the back of his neck raising. He backed away from the door, and thought over his options. He could stop being a wimp and go into his room anyway and just keep the light on, or he could stick around in the hallway for whatever was about to kill him. One option that came to his mind that he didn't even want to consider was going back to Kai. Sure it would involve him admitting that yes, the movie scared him, but at least he wouldn't be alone.

Jay decided to go with the last option, and he crept down the hallway, quietly enough that if there was an intruder, he wouldn't be heard. He turned the corner and screamed when he came face to face with another person, who let out a terrified scream of their own.

When they both recovered from surprising each other, Jay looked up, raising an eyebrow. "Kai? It was only you?" he asked.

"Yeah. I came to ask you something important, but if you want to go back to your room, then-"

"No!" he yelped. Kai stared at him in confusion, and Jay coughed awkwardly. "I mean, I had something I wanted to ask you, too." He took a moment to compose himself and think out what he wanted to say before muttering, "I just wanted to know if I could sleep in your room with you tonight. Not for any specific reason or anything, I just think, you know, now that we're a couple and everything, we don't get to do stuff like this often, and we're alone, so it's not like anyone will think it's weird or anything, but if you don't want to, that's-"

"Sure," Kai interrupted. "I actually came to ask you the same thing. Not because I'm scared of the movie or anything, I just think it'd be nice for us to do this."

Jay grinned, secretly glad knowing that his boyfriend was probably just as frightened by the movie as he was, and linked arms with him. He let Kai guide him to his bedroom again, lying down on the bed next to him.

Kai brought Jay close to him, wrapping his arms around Jay's waist. "This has been some night, huh?" he murmured.

Jay nodded, snuggling closer into Kai's hold. "Sure has. And, uh, Kai?" He met the brunet's gaze, sighing in exasperation. "The movie kinda did scare me after all."

"Knew it." Kai rubbed comforting patterns on Jay's back, slowly shutting his eyes. "But it's just a movie, none of it is real."

"Yeah. Goodnight, Kai..."

"'Night, Jay..."

They fell asleep shortly after, their breathing almost perfectly in sync with each other, not separating in the slightest. Their eyes only opened when they heard another creak in the hallway. Their eyes met again, and Kai reached over to flick the light switch on with a nervous smile.

"Let's just sleep with the light on tonight," he chuckled nervously, and Jay noticed how his grip on him tightened with that being said.

* * *

><p><strong>And yes, they were watching Unfriended. Honestly, I'm impressed by how the movie was made using Skype video chat and other social networking sites. Sure it'll seem pretty dated in a few years, but it's cool.<strong>

**I haven't even seen it, though. I was just going off what I knew from the trailers and TV Tropes. The whole "hand in the blender" is preventing me from wanting to see it. That and I don't like horror movies XD**

**Thank you to those who requested this pairing (it was such a popular request, too)! Stay tuned!**


	38. Built For Strength (Zane x PIXAL)

**Requested by: ifangirltoomuch, TheArtSmartQueen**

**Request: Zane/PIXAL**

**Warnings: None**

* * *

><p>It had been a few days since the Ninja had destroyed the Overlord virus from within the Digiverse, and they had now focused their efforts on finding Pythor. Lloyd had been brought back from the remote village he ended up in when he escaped the Overlord's clutches, and was now out in the field searching for any clues on the whereabouts of their enemies. Meanwhile, Sensei Wu, Garmadon, Zane, and PIXAL stayed at the Borg Industries tower, both tracking the Ninja and Nya, and searching for Cyrus.<p>

Zane couldn't help but notice how despondent PIXAL looked ever since the inventor had been taken away. He thought about what had happened while he and the others were in the Digiverse, how he was kidnapped while PIXAL was trying to prevent the Nindroids, as well as Pythor, from getting to the Ninja, and how she was still worried for Cyrus' well-being when they returned from the Digiverse. Cyrus created her after all, so she probably viewed him as a father just as Zane had with his. It was no wonder she looked so distraught.

But there was something different about the look in her eyes, as though there was more on her mind than just worry for her creator. He wanted to approach her and ask what was troubling her, but not knowing how exactly to go about doing so made him freeze where he was. He knew he loved her dearly, and wanted to do anything he could to make her happy, but he wondered if she would be willing to open up to him about it.

He eventually gave in to his need to speak to her, and stood up from the swivel chair behind one of the computer monitors. He stood next to her, in front of the large window looking down at the busy city streets below. PIXAL looked up, giving a half-hearted smile before looking away again. Even if she was an android, the look in her bright green eyes still created a human-like image of sadness.

"It is a lovely morning today, isn't it?" asked Zane casually, not wanting to rush into his question too quickly.

"Indeed," PIXAL said with a nod. "It is mostly aesthetically pleasing. My probability scans indicate that it will be a good day to continue our searches."

From the tone of her voice, Zane guessed she was not in the mood for talking, but he did not want to leave her until he figured out what was wrong. It was a while before he spoke again, still hoping to lead into his question slowly.

"What do your probability scans say about our chances of finding who we are looking for?"

PIXAL lifted her gaze again, meeting Zane's eyes at last. "Sadly, they are incapable of calculating that at the moment," she replied. "As well, with every lead we find, and lose, the probability fluctuates too much to keep track of." Her lips curved into a frown. "I hope I can keep better track of them soon."

Zane lifted an eyebrow, knowing this would be the perfect time to ask. "Is there something on your mind?" he asked, trying to seem as though he wasn't thinking about that question beforehand. "Is something wrong?"

She turned her head away again, and Zane could still see the sad look in her eyes. "I...failed at protecting Mr. Borg," she said at last. "I am aware that I am built to assist, rather than for combat, but not allowing him to be captured would be an example of assisting, correct? By that logic, I should have been able to protect both you and Mr. Borg, but I was unable to do so."

Zane was now frowning as well, reaching out a hand to rest it on her shoulder. "You are correct that you were unable to protect him," he began. "But you did protect us, and that is more than enough good you did. We will find Cyrus, don't worry."

"That is not what I mean, Zane," she said, her voice somewhat stern now. "I protected you, but I was unable to protect him. Rather than pursuing only Pythor, we are now going after both him and Cyrus, which only makes our mission more difficult." She lifted her hand to pry Zane's off her shoulder, only to hold it at her side. "I was not strong enough, I was not built for fighting, and now our mission of stopping Pythor is more difficult...all thanks to me."

He stared at her incredulously, understanding completely what she was telling him now. _She was not entirely worried about finding Cyrus,_ he thought. _She was also worried about being unable to protect us from threats_. At this point, Zane was more unsure than ever about what he was going to say to her next, especially now that she seemed so tense.

"PIXAL, I..." he trailed off, pressing his lips together firmly into a tight line.

"You do not have to say anything, Zane," she sighed. "I take full blame for what happened. I am sorry I made your mission more difficult than it needs to be."

He looked away briefly, before he locked eyes with her again, his gaze more serious this time. "No. There is no one at fault," he insisted. "You did the best that you could, and like I said, that was more than enough."

"But I still won't be strong enough to protect you from our enemies in the future," she protested.

"You may be built to assist, PIXAL, but you said that my power source inside you strengthened your fighting ability. Even with only half of it, you are strong." He took her other hand that wasn't already being held in his own. "And if we fight together, we will be at full strength. Even if we do not fully succeed, we will make our greatest effort in trying, and that is what counts."

PIXAL stared wordlessly at him, her eyes no longer holding their sad glow. Her hands slipped from his grip, as she lifted her arms to wrap them around Zane in a hug. "Yes. I agree. When we have a chance, we will fight together, and I will try my hardest to protect everyone." She rested her chin on his shoulder. "Especially you."

He smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist. "You may not be built for stealth or fighting, but you _are_ strong. I know you are."

* * *

><p><strong>Pixane can be pretty difficult to write for sometimes. But it's all worth it in the end because it's just so cute :D<strong>

**Thank you to ifangirltoomuch and TheArtSmartQueen for requesting this pairing! Stay tuned!**


	39. Bragging (Jay x Nya, Cole x Seliel)

**Requested by: Guest**

**Request: Jay/Nya and Cole/Seliel**

**Warnings: None**

* * *

><p>Nya stepped out of the bathroom, smoothing out the wrinkles and creases on her dress. "Well?" she asked Jay, giggling at his somewhat dumbfounded expression. "What do you think? I thought about going for a strapless dress at first, but then I saw this one and thought it'd be better for our date."<p>

Jay stood with his eyes wide and mouth gaping open for a moment longer, before shaking his head, the corners of his lips turning up to form a smile. "I think you look amazing, Nya." The flowing fabric of her dress cut off barely below her knees, and complimented her physique quite well. She wore matching wedge sandals, and a silver necklace with a ruby pendant hung around her neck. Jay would be lying if he said she wasn't the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen in his life, and now he stood by that thought even more than before.

"So, are we heading out?" she asked, reaching her hands up to adjust his tie for him.

"Yep! Let me just grab my wallet and we'll be good to go!" He went to the table of the apartment's small kitchen, noticing that the tiny light on his phone was lit, indicating he had a text. He picked it up and checked the message, humming thoughtfully to himself.

"What is it?" Nya asked, coming over to stand at his side.

"Just Cole," he replied. "He's going on a date with Seliel tonight, and it turns out its at the same place we're going for ours."

"Well, tell him we can meet up at the restaurant then, and we can make it a double date!"

"Really? Are you sure?"

"Yeah! It'll just be you and me, and Cole and Seliel. It'll be fun!" She took his hand and led him out the door, making sure to grab the keys before shutting it behind them.

Jay had to be honest, he was hoping it would just be him and Nya on the date. After everything they'd been through, all he really wanted was some alone time with his girlfriend, or at least as alone as they could be in public. Sure, going on a double date with Cole and Seliel wouldn't be too bad, but he still felt it would be awkward after the whole "love triangle" issue.

Luckily for them, the restaurant was only around the corner from the apartment complex, so Jay and Nya arrived there earlier than they planned. While they waited for Seliel and Cole to show up, Nya rubbed her thumb reassuringly on the surface of Jay's hand, smiling up at him.

"I know you and Cole have forgiven each other and are trying to get used to not fighting for once," she said with a chuckle. "but I think first you need to loosen up a bit! It'll all be fine, don't you worry!"

He shrugged, giving a small smile. "Yeah... I mean, he might've hooked up with Seliel, but you're the best girlfriend anyone could ever hope for."

A smirk played upon her lips. "So... You're worried he might get a little envious because you're dating me?" Nya elbowed him playfully. "And to think, I thought you would be over that by now. I didn't know you were jealous!"

"Wha- No! No, I am not! If anything, I'm one hundred percent over it! I believe you. We are going to have a nice time, just us and Cole and Seliel, on a perfectly normal double date."

Before he could say anything more, a familiar voice called out to them. "Hey guys! Sorry we're late!"

Jay turned his head to see Cole, dressed up in a white button-up shirt and black vest and tie, rushing up to them, a wide smile on his face. Running at his side was Seliel, her blue-streaked red hair flowing behind her as she ran. He noticed how well her strapless navy blue dress suited her, but refused to be distracted by the beauty of Cole's girlfriend; he _was_ here with Nya, after all.

"We got lost on the way here," Seliel panted, her grin matching Cole's almost perfectly. "Tall, dark, and clueless over here misread the street signs."

"Hey, it was only once! We got back on the right track soon enough, didn't we?" Cole protested. "Anyway, thanks for waiting. For a second I thought you guys would go in without us!"

Jay smirked. "Well, someone has to pay the bill, right?" he joked, leading the way into the restaurant.

Once they were seated, Jay beside Nya and Cole beside Seliel, they soon dissolved into casual conversation, discussing what they had done that day, how they had been doing since the last time they saw each other, and generally just exchanging personal stories. Even when their food arrived they were still locked in conversation.

However, Jay couldn't help but notice how much Cole had bragged about the things that Seliel had done back in her home village. He knew the black ninja was trying to make it seem as though he'd moved on from Nya, but at the same time it appeared as though he was trying to make Jay jealous in a friendly manner. Seliel seemed almost embarrassed by the constant praise Cole was giving her, and Nya didn't even seem to mind it, but Jay wanted to show Cole that he, too, had moved on from their arguments in the past.

"In fact, Seliel's basically considered the face of her village," Cole said, looking over at his girlfriend with admiration. "I don't think there's anyone there that doubts her abilities as a fighter, right?"

"Hey, come on, don't flatter me so much," she replied, a slight blush dusting across her cheeks. "But, yeah, I think there may be a few people in the village who actually think I can snap them like a twig. It's both awesome and strange that they think that, in my opinion."

Jay nodded in agreement, taking this as his opportunity to start bragging about Nya. "Yeah. I mean, I think a lot of people around here think the same about Nya. You know, with her being the Samurai and everything." He shot a smug grin at Cole, who raised a bushy eyebrow in confusion.

"Oh, I wouldn't say they're afraid of me," Nya said, a sheepish grin spreading across her face.

"They do highly admire you, though. I'd count that as a win."

Understanding what Jay was up to, Cole frowned and decided to top Jay's bragging. "Well, Seliel is considered a village hero," he retorted. "The villagers don't think they've met anyone like her, and they think she's probably the best thing that's ever happened to them."

"Nya's got her own fan club starting up here," Jay replied, his tone becoming firmer. "It's composed of both guys _and_ girls. Can you believe that? Even the girls admire her as much as the guys do!"

Nya and Seliel exchanged a suspicious look as their boyfriends argued. "Are they always like this...?" Seliel whispered, eyeing them in confusion. "I mean, I know there was some kind of issue between you and them, but I thought Cole said it was over with."

"It's supposed to be," she replied. "But I guess now they have some other issues that they have to sort out first."

As they continued to bicker, Seliel jerked her thumb toward the doorway, raising her eyebrow to suggest that perhaps they should leave. Nya's lips formed a tight line and she nodded, pushing the bill the waiter left for them to the centre of the table as she stood, following Seliel out.

"_Seliel_ is capable of making several different kinds of smoke bombs using multiple chemical combinations!" Cole snapped, not noticing that his girlfriend and Nya had already left.

"_Nya_ is capable of building her own weapons from scratch to use as the Samurai, including making weapons for her mech!" Jay shot back.

The two girls turned to look over their shoulders at their boyfriends, frowns present on both of their faces.

"Boys," said Seliel with a shake of her head.

"I know, right?" Nya replied, walking out onto the streets of New Ninjago City with Seliel following quickly behind.

* * *

><p><strong>Just some "my girlfriend's better than yours" stuff between Cole and Jay. And Nya and Seliel realizing they're both idiots. But they're wonderful idiots.<strong>

**Thank you Guest for requesting these pairings (and for the idea of a double date)! Stay tuned! Trust me, the next pairing is one I'm sure many will love ;)**


	40. Burn (Kai x Skylor)

**And for our grand finale...**

**Requested by: Guest, FinnGal, ifangirltoomuch, jacobblu2000, Yuna53421, Katetheninja**

**Request: Kai/Skylor**

**Warnings: None**

* * *

><p>Kai hated the guilt he felt ever since Zane died. It burned inside him like an uncontrollable fire, one that could never be extinguished no matter what. Not when he joined the underground fighting ring, not when Lloyd brought them together to suggest bringing in a new team member, not when they received an invitation to some "Tournament of Elements" held on an island he'd never even heard of. If anything, all of this made the guilt in him burn at an even higher intensity.<p>

When they waited in line to board the ferry to the island, he didn't expect much. In fact, the hope that Zane was actually on the island was barely more than a tiny flame on an even smaller candle. He wanted to believe Zane would be there, that he could make their team whole again, but the guilt had already eaten through him enough to make him think all was lost.

What he especially didn't expect, though, was her. The girl dressed in orange, most of her head and face obscured by a matching hood. He couldn't get a good grasp on her features, but he did see her eyes. A warm, light brown that was both comforting and alluring, a shine in them that he didn't think he'd ever seen in any other girl's eyes before. He stared dumbfounded at her while she looked at him. Then, she did the unthinkable.

She smiled.

Her smile and her eyes alone were enough to ignite a flame in his heart that spread through his entire body, a flame that was different than any other. He felt the heat rise to his face, and he grinned in a lopsided fashion back at her, sighing. He didn't break out of his trance until Lloyd attempted to bring him back to reality.

Everything seemed to happen all at once after that. Sensei Garmadon didn't know who she was, so he took it upon himself to learn about her. When Karlof threatened her, he fought to defend her, even after she said she could handle herself. When she took his hand to help him up once he was beaten to the ground, he felt an even more intense flame burning through him, starting from where their hands touched. Before he could thank her, she turned and left without another word.

When they reached the island and got to their rooms, joy filling him when he found out their rooms were right next door to each other, he learned even more about her. Her name was Skylor, but that was all he knew. Nothing about her elemental power, nothing about her family, nothing about where she came from. But he did learn she was strong and cunning, when she shoved him to the ground in order to get the Jadeblade above their heads.

He continued to learn about her as time went on. She was a possible Master of Fire, for one thing, which was a sign they were related. The hope that had filled him since coming to the island and meeting her dropped once again, feeling disgusted that he fell in love with a relative. He didn't speak to her after finding that out.

Until it turned out she wasn't what he thought she was. She was, in fact, the Master of Amber, able to absorb and emulate the power of anyone she touched, as Garmadon said. His hope soared out of his chest once more, and he let the fire she ignited in his heart consume him from then on.

He ended up embarrassing himself completely in the Thunder Blade event, when it turned out he could not skate even if his life depended on it. She supported him in the end though, figuratively and literally. She agreed to help them stop Chen in whatever it was that he was planning, rebuilding the hope in him that had been nearly destroyed.

When it turned out there was a spy among them, Kai hoped it wasn't Skylor, and believed strongly that it wasn't Skylor, but he had to check for a tattoo anyway to reassure the others. She didn't react well to his request, accusing him of not actually trusting her. When it turned out there was no tattoo, and she left without so much as a kind word, the hope wavered in him again.

His hope continued to waver until she met him in the jungle in the search for Nya, agreeing to help him. And then she used Ice. He knew she could absorb elemental power, but only Zane had access to Ice, and he'd never been in the Tournament. The fire that was his hope completely went out as he connected the dots.

"_You're_ the spy!"

Everything went downhill from there as he learned more. She was Master Chen's daughter, and was placed in the Tournament to take everyone's powers and to distract the Ninja. Including Kai. The only reason she had no tattoo was because she used the power of Form. And most importantly: she never actually loved him.

When he was captured, and Chen taunted him over learning that Skylor played him for a complete fool, he tried to meet her gaze, but she wouldn't look up from the ground. He couldn't believe he allowed himself to fall in love with her, and he couldn't believe that he still loved her somewhat, even after everything she'd done.

The guilt started to burn once more.

~o~o~o~o~

He said it would be easy. He said there wouldn't be anyone in her way. He said he would always love her, but only if she helped him in his mission. She wanted to decline, but she remembered what he'd done to the others who had once betrayed him. Reluctantly, she allowed herself to be entered in his Tournament.

Skylor knew she was only there to help her father. Her mission was simple: Befriend everyone, copy their powers, let their powers be stolen, and then surrender her powers to Chen. It couldn't be any simpler. There couldn't be anything that stood in her way.

Until the famous Ninja showed up. The four of them, the fifth having already been imprisoned on Chen's island to bait them, showed up right on schedule at the docks. She almost felt sorry for them, knowing what fate had in store.

But she especially pondered on the red ninja, the one who was practically staring at her the entire time. In an effort to seem inconspicuous, she smiled at him. It wasn't supposed to do much but get him to stop, but what he did next surprised her.

He seemed to blush, his eyelids fluttering slightly and his mouth curving into a lopsided grin. She tried not to laugh at his expression, but at the same time was rather flattered by it. It was almost endearing in its own weird way. For a moment, she didn't want the expression to ever go away, to ever be marred by a single sad look. The feeling away as quickly as it showed up, though, when she decided the mission was more important than someone she'd only just met.

She could tell what his personality was like when he stood up for her against the Master of Metal. He was brash, impulsive, hotheaded, all things fitting his element of Fire. And yet, he had the protective qualities of fire, as well. It was obvious he had taken a liking to her, and his actions now expressed that. But she could handle herself. She didn't need him to protect her. She feigned gratitude, using the moment she helped him off the ground as a chance to copy his powers.

She learned he was Kai, the Master of Fire. He couldn't take it when someone flirted right back at him, as he demonstrated when he nearly burned his own hand trying to flirt with her, and when he was distracted long enough for her to grab the Jadeblade they were fighting over. He was clever, as he demonstrated when he stole Karlof's Jadeblade out of his grasp, allowing him to move to the next round of the Tournament. She felt herself admiring his qualities, starting to think she could perhaps make _one_ friend while she was here.

He didn't speak to her for a couple of days, and she wondered if he found out about her father's plans, about _her_. Why she was so nervous about him finding out about her real purpose in the Tournament was what she didn't understand. And yet, despite her worries, she felt her heart soar when he heard his cheers above the rest when she won against the Master of Sound.

Though Skylor was happy with his company, and always looked forward to talking to him every day, she knew she had to keep lying to him and tricking him to ensure Chen's plan succeeded. Kai had to have his heart broken in the end, which she felt even more reluctant about accepting when her father went on and on about how proud he was of her, and how the Ninja would forever be divided thanks to her. She had no choice but to keep playing along, even as she became more aware of her feelings towards Kai.

When she agreed to help him find his sister before any of the other competitors did, the entire purpose was to lead him into Chen's grasp. She knew she was being tracked the entire time by her father and Clouse, so no matter how far she and Kai travelled, they were basically always surrounded. She was told that all the competitors had to be caught that day, which meant she also had to betray Kai.

When she used the power of Ice, and when she accidentally let it slip that Chen was her father, he was at first in complete disbelief, then became furious. Skylor had a sneaking suspicion that she was too successful in fooling him, considering how much he was holding back when fighting her. It was obvious he still loved her, and wanted to believe she loved him. She wanted to tell him she had no choice, but her father took up most of the conversation on the way to the stolen mobile base.

"I mean, did you really believe you had a chance of being with my daughter?" he had taunted. Kai never answered, remaining silent as the truth set in.

She felt Kai's gaze burn into her, waiting for her to speak up. But she didn't turn to look at him, not wanting to feel more of the burning guilt that she knew threatened to eat away at her. She only met his eyes when they finally reached the mobile base, Chen locking him in with the other captured competitors.

The look in his eyes nearly shattered her heart. His dark eyes burned with mingled anger and sadness, causing the guilt she was already feeling to burn worse within her. He trusted her, and here she was, on the other side of the bars separating them, watching as his own heart broke before her very eyes.

Even when she turned to leave, when she went to be with her father, who was filled with glee over the success of his plan, his expression had been permanently burned into her memory.

* * *

><p><strong>You guys have been asking, and now I have delivered! The first oneshot with a pairing involving a new character is Kailor! Yaaay! (Please don't kill me for overlooking other pairings with new characters, this one was highly requested, I had to write it, I just had to!)<strong>

**Sadly, this is the end of another oneshot collection. Due to exams coming up and school coming to a close for the summer, I must leave again so I can focus. But don't worry! I will be back to make more oneshots, featuring many of the new characters, probably sometime in July.**

**I want to thank everyone who has left requests and kind reviews of the oneshots I have written. I also want to apologize to those who did not get their requests completed, since you guys have waited so long and now I'm leaving again. All of you have been so wonderful and patient with updates and you make me very happy every time I come here and see that a new review has been posted :)**

**Thank you for all the support you have given to this oneshot collection, everyone! See you in July!**


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